DON McCarthy is hoping to celebrate his 21st anniversary in style – by winning the RCM Tarmacadam Carbery Junior A Hurling Championship title.

A stalwart of Kilbree GAA, McCarthy made his junior A debut in 2005 and is now in his 21st season. As the Rossmore club prepares for just its fourth Flyer Nyhan Cup final, he has featured in all three of their previous deciders – in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

McCarthy will now start his fourth Carbery JAHC final this Sunday against Ballinascarthy – a repeat of those 2018 and 2019 meetings.

‘It’s six years since we were last in the final, so it’s great for the club,’ McCarthy told The Southern Star.

‘For all the work that people are putting in behind the scenes, it’s nice to see an adult team doing well and getting back to a Carbery final.’

It’s been a season of steady progress for Kilbree, who have built momentum through league and championship. Winning the Carbery Junior League Division 1 title laid the foundation for this run, and after championship wins over Clonakilty, Kilbrittain, Dohenys and Newcestown, they’ve earned their place in the decider.

‘The lads are delighted to make it back to a final. We haven’t been there in a few years,’ McCarthy explained.

‘That league win really set us up. It gave us confidence and consistency. We wanted to perform well in every game, and that attitude carried through into the championship.’

The veteran forward also praised the balance and depth in the Kilbree panel.

‘There’s a good mix there,’ he said. ‘We have a few lads in their mid-30s right down to fellas who are 18 or 19, and a strong bunch in between. There’s a big spread in the panel – 30 to 40 lads have been training with us all year. That age spread is brilliant, and it definitely adds to competition.’

Up to 2016, Kilbree had never even reached a Carbery junior A final. What followed – three finals in four years – was a golden era for the club. Returning to the big stage again shows that the standards remain high.

‘For our club, it’s only the fourth final we’ve ever been in at junior A level, so it’s a massive occasion,’ McCarthy said.

‘There’s been a bit of consistency even though we’ve been away from finals the last few years. It would be great to add another Flyer Nyhan Cup to the club’s legacy, but we really have to perform on Sunday to be in with a shout.’

There was little to separate Kilbree and Ballinascarthy when they met earlier this season – a 0-11 apiece draw in wet and windy conditions in Timoleague.

‘That was the first time we’d played each other in a number of years,’ McCarthy said. ‘It was very competitive but played in horrendous weather – lashing rain. Both teams will have learned small things from that game, and we’ll see on Sunday who learned the most.’

A win this weekend would be Kilbree’s third Carbery title in four final appearances, a result that would mean so much to both the club and the wider community.

‘Any bit of silverware gives a big lift to the club,’ McCarthy said. ‘The last time we won the title was in 2018, seven years ago. Some of the players involved now were very young back then, so it’s great for them and great for the underage too.

‘When an adult team is successful, you see the underage start to thrive as well. There’s a knock-on effect. Having that success gives young players something to aim for – they want to be part of winning things with the club. Hopefully that’ll be the case if we can get over the line on Sunday.’