1926

Kilbrittain are champions in new SW Division

Three games in county final

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SOUTH CORK BOARD CONVENTION

This was held in Bandon on St. Patrick’s Day and clubs present were Bandon, Knockavilla, Kilbrittain, Kinsale, Innishannon and Clonakilty. Seán McCarthy, chairman, County Board, attended the convention.

     Re-elected officers for 1926 were – Chairman, Seán Forde, Knockavilla; vice-chairman, Dan O’Hea, Kilbrittain; secretary, Seán Murphy, Innishannon; treasurer, J.J. Phelan, Bandon.

      There was enough money in the accounts to purchase medals for the South Cork winners of 1925, Kilbrittain in hurling and Bandon in football.

      Because of Clonakilty’s addition to the Board, it was decided to call it the “South-West Cork  Division.” There was a great welcome extended to the Clonakilty team.

     In June, Liam Deasy, Kilmeen, was appointed South-West representative to the County Board.

South-West Cork Junior Football Draws 1926

Knockavilla v Bandon; Clonakilty v Innishannon; Kilbrittain a bye.

SW Junior Football Championship1926 

Round 1 -  Clonakilty 2-3  Innishannon 1-1        May 9^th  in Bandon

Round 1    Knockavilla 1-3   Bandon 1-1          June 6^th  in Innishannon

A small attendance saw the sides level at half time, 1-0 each. The second half was fast, furious and, sometimes, rather rough as both sides strove valiantly for victory. Knockavilla emerged winners by two points. Seán Murphy, Innishannon, was the referee.

Semi-final  -  Kilbrittain 1-5   Knockavilla 0-3        July 25^th   in Bandon

Kilbrittain’s combination and training were outstanding features of the game and, although erratic in the early stage, they settled down well. Knockavilla’s defence was very good and they had some fine individuals, but their forwards were too slow.

SOUTH-WEST CORK JUNIOR FOOTBALL  FINAL 1926

Kilbrittain drew with Clonakilty

No account is available of this final, but Clonakilty claimed they were short half their team on the day.

SOUTH-WEST CORK JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL REPLAY 1926

August 15^th    at Clonakilty

Kilbrittain 0-4   Clonakilty 1-0

This was a tough game all through. Clon played with the wind and slope in the first half and  there was no score for twenty minutes. Clon took the lead with a goal but missed numerous chances while Kilbrittain responded with two points. It was 1-0 to 0-2 at half time. Kilbrittain added two more points in the second half to emerge surprise winners by 0-4 to 1-0.

      Seán Murphy, Innishannon, secretary of the SW Board, was the referee.

      Kilbrittain – Seán O’Hea (capt..), E. O’Hea, C. Crowley, J. Roche, R. Kelly, J. O’Driscoll, L. Ahern , T. O’Brien, M. McCarthy, D. Corcoran, T. Murphy, E. Barrett, D. Harrington (two names missing).

      Clonakilty – P. McCarthy (capt..), P. O’Brien, C. Collins, D. Hurley, B. O’Driscoll, J. Leahy, D. Donovan, D. Hurley, P. Fortune, J. Cody, J. Lombard, D. Driscoll, M. Hayes, C. Driscoll, T. Deasy, N. Sutton.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Kilbrittain met West Cork champions, Dohenys, in the county championship in the Town Park, Clonakilty on February 6^th, 1927. Kilbrittain played with the strong breeze in the first half and a point by Roche, followed by an O.G. by Lynch gave them a lead of 1-1 to 0-2 at half time, Dullea scoring for Dunmanway. The second half saw Dohenys exerting a lot of pressure but unable to break through the fine Kilbrittain defence. The Doheny backs made the mistake of moving up the field looking for scores and in the final quarter were caught for three quick goals by the Kilbrittain men. Final score was Kilbrittain 4-2, Dohenys 0-2.

     The referee was the legendary  Blackrock and Cork hurler, Big Jim Hurley, from Clonakilty

      Kilbrittain went on to meet Macroom 2nds, the mid-Cork champions,  in the county semi-final in Bandon on March 13^th and in a poor game, emerged winners. While Macroom had a nicer style, Kilbrittain were faster and better trained. Macroom had most of the play in the second half but the Kilbrittain defence was excellent all through. Final score was 0-3 to 0-1.

COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL  FINAL 1926

March 27^th, 1927,    at Bandon

Kilbrittain 2-1   Geraldines (Cork) 2-1

The teams met on a beautiful day in Bandon in front of a large crowd. Kilbrittain played strong, direct football while the Geraldines favoured the short, passing game.

      Kilbrittain dominated the first half and two goals by Murphy gave them a lead of 2-0 to nil at half time. Geraldines, with the wind and sun, dominated the second half, Casey scoring their first point. Goals by Foley and Falvey put the city side ahead and scores were missed at both ends before Murphy kicked an equalising point for Kilbrittain from far out. It finished 2-1 each.

     The referee was Seán Murphy, Innishannon.

      The “Bandon Notes” in the “Southern Star” that week contained the following –

 “WE ALSO HEARD – That a drawn game was the value of the Kilbrittain-Geraldines match in the Junior County Football final last Sunday. That the replay will take place on Sunday week, perhaps elsewhere. That in the meantime Kilbrittain need a lot of practice to win. That the Geraldines expect to sail through Kilbrittain next time to victory. That the wrath of a Kilbtittain player is allayed by a pipe of peace. That the Muskerry ticket official played a great game for Geraldines and has a good burst of speed.” (Southern Star,  April 3^rd, 1927)

Kilbrittain – D. O’Hea (capt..), E. O’Hea, P. O’Driscoll, M. O’Sullivan, Con Crowley, J. Roche, J. O’Driscoll, R. Kelly, T. Murphy, John Murphy, D. O’Brien, P. Roche, T. Fitzgerald, J. Coakley, W. Mahony

Geraldines – V. Mulcahy (capt..), P. Fitzgerald, T. Fitzgerald, T. Falvey, J. Casey, T. Sullivan, V. Doovan, N. Foley, D. Sullivan, A. Ryan, D. Keating, D. McBirney, C. Taylor, F. Parfrey, J. Sullivan,

COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL REPLAY 1926

 April 17^th, 1927,  at Knockavilla

   Kilbrittain drew tith Geraldines

      The replay of the county final was switched to Knockavilla but no account could be found of that game.

COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL   2^nd   REPLAY     1926

       June 12th, 1927,   

    Geraldines 2-3   Kilbrittain 1-2

      Again no account could be found of this final but Geraldines emerged winners by four points. Strangely, Geraldines had played in the senior championship the previous month 

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West Cork Junior Football Championship 1926

      The old West Cork Committee organised its own junior football championship in 1926, involving teams from the centre and the west of the region. This was the last championship run by the old West Cork Committee, which had run affairs in the area since the early 1900s. In 1927 the Committee had ceased to exist and all the West Cork clubs were affiliated to the new South-West Board (more commonly known now as “The Carbery Board”)

Semi-final  -  “Owen Roes” (Enniskeane)  v  Coppeen Rangers,  October 17^th in Bandon

Unfortunately, Coppeen failed to field a team and conceded a walkover to the Enniskeane men.

Semi-final -  Dohenys v Bantry,  October 17^th  in Inchigeela

Bantry were unable to field a team and conceded a walkover.

WEST CORK JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL 1926

November 14^th in Town Park, Clonakilty

Dohenys, Dunmanway 1-1     Owen Roes, Ballineen 1-0

      The weather was extremely inclement and although the ground was heavy, the teams gave a fine exhibition of football. While Dohenys later claimed that the Ballineen team was made up of players from the village of Ballineen, Newcestown and Kilmurry, while their own team was made up entirely from players from the town of Dunmanway itself, the writer of the ‘Clonakilty Notes’ claimed that the Doheny team contained two Clonakilty men   who were responsible for the Doheny goal, Jim Lane passing to young Collins, who punched to the net. “Some one on the sideline shouted ‘handball’ and he was promptly put out of the ground.”

     Batt Driscoll, Clonakilty, refereed.

Objection

Not surprising Ballineen objected to Dohenys afterwards, whether it was against the Clonakilty players on the Doheny team, or against the Clonakilty referee, who was suspended, with the Clonakilty club, at the time, is not clear. A replay was ordered, again in Clonakilty.

 WEST CORK JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL  REPLAY 1926

December 5th in Town Park, Clonakilty

Owen Roes, Ballineen 0-3     Dunmanway Dohenys 0-2

This was again a cracking contest in front of a fairly large crowd, although the number of locals present was small because the County Board had neglected to send posters advertising the fixture. The weather was splendid and the field in good order. The display of football was considered to be the best seen in many years. Dohenys had a lot of play in the first half but kicked a lot of wides as both defences dominated. The score at half time was 0-1 each. Ballineen kicked two points in quick succession in the second half to take the lead and had to withstand a barrage from Dohenys in the final quarter. The lead was cut to a point but try as they might Dohenys couldn’t kick an equaliser and Ballineen held on for a 0-3 to 0-2 victory. L, Donoghue and Warren were best for the winners while Lynch and Young were outstanding for Dunmanway.

       This was to prove the last junior football final under the old West Cork Board to be held on the field of play.

Objection

This time it was Dohenys turn to object. The objection was to be heard by the Appeals and Objections Committee of the County Board but Dohenys did not turn up for the hearing. They subsequently wrote to the Board explaining that they had been on the way to the hearing but had suffered two punctures and were unable to get there. They asked that the hearing be held at another date as they had evidence, as did members of the Objections Committee, that the player they were objecting to had played with other clubs. However, if they were awarded the match, they would not accept it.

        John McCarthy, chairman of the Board, stated that the evidence he had been shown proved both teams to be illegal. “Ballineen was grossly illegal,” he said. The teams had contained senior intercounty men and intermediate players and that was not allowed in the junior grade. It was his intention to rule both teams out and declare the competition null and void. It would be unjust to award the match to either side, he stated, but he wasn’t going to make a ruling then.

     It was proposed from the floor that the match be replayed, without the illegal players, and a city referee be appointed.

     It was also proposed that the matter be held over to see how things would develop.

     Finally, it was decided to replay the match on January 9^th in Macroom, the secretary of the Board to be the referee and no illegal players to take part.

WEST CORK JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL   2^nd REPLAY 1926

January 9^th, 1927,  in Macroom

Dunmanway Dohenys w/o from Owen Roes, Ballineen

The referee, P.J. O’Keeffe, secretary of the Co. Board, stated at the following Board meeting that he had attended at Macroom to referee the game but at 2.30pm he heard unofficially that Ballineen were not turning up and he instructed the Macroom secretary not to sell any tickets. At. 3.15pm he awarded the match to Dunmanway.

     Macroom  agreed to field a team to play Dohenys in a challenge game, which Macroom won by 1-3 to 0-1.

       “We were looking forward with some eagerness to this junior championship fixture, which was arranged for Macroom last Sunday, but Ballineen declined the engagement and the match was duly awarded to Dunmanway. It must be a disappointment to Dunmanway, as well as to all interested, that the issue should be settled in this manner. The honour of victory achieved in the field of play would have been more satisfactory, but the Ballineen boys know best why the team did not travel.” (Southern Star,  January 8^th 1927)

      At a subsequent Board meeting in mid-January a letter was read from a player from the Kilmurry F.C. stating that he had played for Ballineen in the final against Dohenys in Clonakilty, thereby making himself illegal. He applied for reinstatement and was suspended for two months from the date of the match.   

      The Board wrote to the Ballineen club for an explanation as to why they hadn’t fulfilled the fixture.

      At the following Board meeting a letter was read from Tadhg Ó Longáin, secretary of the Ballineen Club, stating that some Ballineen players refused to travel to play the game in Macroom because the Objections Committee had awarded the game to Ballineen after the first final in Clonakilty but had then changed their minds. They, Ballineen, intended appealing the decision to the Munster Council.

     At the same meeting three further Kilmurry players wrote in asking to be reinstated, having played illegally with the Ballineen team in the final. All three were suspended for two months.

     Chairman, John McCarthy, decided that Ballineen would be held responsible for all expenses connected to the abortive final in Macroom. He also declared that they would have to put a stop to teams in West Cork playing illegal players in order to win matches.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Dohenys were beaten by SW champions, Kilbrittain, by 4-2 to 0-2 in Clonakilty on February 6^th.\

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COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL Phil

Geraldines 2-1  Kilbrittain 2-1    March 27^th, 1927,  in Bandon.

REPLAY – Geraldines drew with Kilbrittain, April 17^th, 1927,  in Knockavilla.

2^nd REPLAY  -  Geraldines 2-3  Kilbrittain 1-2,  June 12^th, 1927,  in 

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"Thus for an hour the battle raged,

Hotter and fiercer they each engaged,

Those stalwarts bold unknowing fear,

Their county's honour alone hold dear." 

                                     Phil O'Neill

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