1925

Southern Star  June 6^th  1925   

INAUGURAL SOUTH CORK JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Bandon, Innishannon, Kinsale, Kilbrittain and Knockavilla took part in the inaugural South Cork Junior Football Championship in 1925. Unfortunately, no account of any of the games are available. Despite having no teams in either football or hurling in June, according to the Bandon notes in the Southern Star, it was Bandon who emerged as the first South Cork champions, advancing to the county championship.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Bandon met Youghal on March 21^st , 1926, in the semi- final of the county in Riverstown. In front of a large crowd Bandon led by 0-2 to nil at the break and in an exciting second half, Youghal did a lot of pressing but the Bandon defence was outstanding all through. Youghal scored a point to cut the lead to a single point but Bandon finished in style with two late goals. Bandon won by 2-2 to 0-1 and advanced to the county final.  

COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL  FINAL 1925

Sunday, April 4^th, 1926, in the Kinsale Athletic Grounds

Bandon 2-1  Commons Road, Cork 2-1

Commons Road had already beaten the West Cork champions, Bantry.

“The final of the Junior Championship between the above at the Athletic Grounds on Sunday, before a large crowd, resulted in a draw after a mediocre exhibition of football. There were few exciting passages and the final whistle found each with 2 goals 1 point. Mr. J. O’Regan, Kinsale, was the referee.”

 “The match was rather tame and ended in a draw. The Commons Road men were the better trained. This is no wonder as the local Club has no field to practise in. Yet, Bandon were very near winning, John Joe Phelan having hard luck in not bringing off the winning point. The outstanding players were Phelan, Donoghue and T. Horgan. We hope our boys will have better luck in the next encounter.”  (Southern Star, ‘Bandon Notes,’ April 10^th, 1926)  

COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL  FINAL  REPLAY 1925

Sunday, April 18^th, 1926, in the Cork Athletic Grounds

Bandon 0-2  Commons Road, Cork 0-1 

The replay took place on a showery day in the Cork Athletic Grounds, after the National Hurling league match between Cork and Kilkenny, the first ever hurling league game between the counties, won by Cork by 8-6 to 1-3. The football game was quite interesting all through, but no account of the action is given in the short report. Bandon emerged champions by 0-2 to 0-1, the first-ever county champions from the new South (South-West) Cork Division.

     The referee was Jerry Beckett, Cork County Board.

     Bandon – Seán Phelan, - Murphy, - Geaney, J. Horgan, L. O’Donoghue, P. O’Driscoll, E. Murphy, J. O’Connell, J. Lynch, Seán O’Daly, J. O’Connor, W. O’Neill, Seán Murphy, Seán McDonnell, Donal Lynch.

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West Cork Junior Football Championship 1925

While the new South Cork Division was running off its first championship, the old West Cork Committee finally managed to get its championship underway in August. At that time Kilmichael were taking part in West Cork and they managed to reach the final.

Round 1  -  Bantry   beat  Skibbereen,    August 9^th in Bantry

The home team proved far superior on the day. There was an absence of scientific play and the game was very rough at times. The Skibbereen team was described as “raw and weak,” while Bantry were advised to put in some training. In the end Bantry won by a decisive 2 goals and 9 points.

Carbery Rangers 1-2    Kilmichael  Nil ,  August 16^th in Ballineen

Carbery Rangers proved the stronger team but Kilmichael subsequently objected at the West Cork Committee, on the grounds that Carbery Rangers played an illegal man. Kilmichael won the objection and a counter-objection by Carbery Rangers that the pitch was not properly marked was ruled out as it was the best pitch that could be got in Ballineen.  

Round 2  -  Bantry 1-4   Clonakilty 1-0,  August 30^th in Skibbereen

The day was beautifully fine but the crowd was small, mainly because Clon’s bowling hero, McCarthy Quirke, was throwing a big score in Bandon. The game was fast, with some good individual play but the supporters were expecting better. Bantry, showing better combination, emerged deserving winners. P. Fortune, Glandore was the referee.                                                                                                                  

WEST  CORK JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL 1925

Sunday, September 20^th

Bantry   beat  Kilmichael

No account of the game could be found but Bantry emerged winners.

BANTRY FOOTBALL

“A meeting of the Bantry G.A.A. Club was held in the Town Hall. Mr. Dan Minihane (President) congratulated the players on having won the West Cork Championship, and said he felt proud of being associated with them. He believed with consistent practice they would have a first and second team equal to the best in the county. He hoped they would be victorious when they met the city team for the final of the County Championship. On behalf of the players he wished to thank the Murphy Brothers, Main Street, for lending their lorry on two occasions when funds would not permit paying for cars.”  (“Southern Star”, November 14^th, 1925)

       Bantry did meet the city winners, Commons Road, but it was in the county semi-final, in Macroom on January 24^th, 1926 but they were beaten. Commons Road were subsequently beaten in the county final by South Cork champions, Bandon.

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COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL 1925

Bandon 2-1  Commons Road 2-1,  April 4th, 1926, in Kinsale 

Replay - Bandon 0-2  Commons Road 0-1, April 18th, 1926, in Cork Athletic Grounds 

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