1944

Clonakilty 3-3    Skibbereen 2-2

October 29th   in Skibbereen

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       The final of the South-West Cork Junior Hurling championship between Clonakilty and Skibbereen played at the Marsh, Skibbereen, on Sunday, was a clean sporting game, with play rather patchy at times but interesting all through. Clonakilty won by four points, becoming divisional champions for the second year in succession.

       Experience and closer understanding carried the day for Clonakilty.

       They were better trained than their opponents, had that extra spurt of speed which meant they were on the ball sooner and, above all, were confident.

      What was more, most of their players favoured first-time pulling, those of them that did not could easily have lost the match on them if Skibbereen had not imagined that hurling consists of picking at the ball like a hen at a worm.

 

FIRST TIME INTERLUDE

      The game really sparkled for a time in the second half when both sides forgot about lifting the ball in the middle of rucks. For perhaps ten minutes the crowd was brought to its toes when fast, first-time pulling on the ground became the order.

      In that period, Skibbereen had got the measure of their opponents but, whether they realized it or not was another question; at any rate they did not cut their cloth accordingly.

      They fell back on the picking business again, and, although they had the major portion of the play in that moiety, lacked that something that was able to pull Clonakilty through. As a matter of fact we thought there was a hint of inferior complex about the way Skibbereen played. However, they went down fighting in a game that was exemplary for its sportsmanship and lack of fouls.

THE GAME

       A quiet opening developed into a series of clashes at both ends and play had fluctuated about the middle of the field before a sweeping attack came from Clonakilty, following a long drive by Duggan. Tom O’Neill, in the full-back berth for Skibbereen, doubled the ball out and Bailey sent it further away. Cullinane drove back again and once more the homesters’ back line broke up the attack, John O’Donovan pulling out to leave Cogan lob into the Clonakilty defence. Crowley and McCarthy cleared and again a centre field tussle left the visitors in possession.

       Ahern flashed along to O’Driscoll but O’Neill crashed through to send well up the field.

      Duggan knocked down a ball only to see Grogan flash it past him, Hurley slipping away from Cullinane and placing for Seánie O’Connell. The last mentioned whipped the ball into the square and Carey dashed in to send it home.

“SERIES OF WIDES”

       With a goal up, Skibbereen put more pep into their next attack. Duggan, however, was a stout defender, getting plenty of support from Cullinane, who time and again sent into the Skibbereen back line.

       For five minutes Clonakilty had hard luck when they drove wide almost as many times.

       Their persistence was at length rewarded when O’Donovan had a point. Skibbereen sent over twice before Clonakilty returned to the other end. Three seventies followed, all of which the backs were ready for, John O’Donovan, O’Neill and O’Mahony figuring in the clearances. The visitors’ chance came, however, when a well-directed free brought play to the goal-mouth and from the ensuing ruck, Clonakilty got their first goal. A free to Skibbereen on the ‘21’ was muffed and not long after a seventy met a similar fate. Clonakilty pressed hotly but were held at bay, Bailey doing some fine work in the half-back line.

 

INTERVAL LEAD

     Ragged play at midfield was followed by a nice passing movement between two Clonakilty forwards and only O’Neill’s stolid defence and Collins’ wariness in the goal averted a score. Play went to the Skibbereen forwards. There Phil O’Neill and Carey tried to burst through but McGrath blocked and sent to Cullinane, who sent his forwards attacking.

      In a trice O’Driscoll had sent to the net.

      Skibbereen rallied and, led by Grogan, the forwards swarmed in for T. O’Connell to drop a neat point. There was no further score before the interval when the tally stood:

      Clonakilty  -  2 goals 1 point.

      Skibbereen  -  1 goal 1 point.

      Skibbereen had made some positional changes when the second half began. Play was dour and slogging for the opening minutes. Skibbereen attacked several times and were beaten off, Duggan being a prominent defender.

SPECTACULAR EFFORT

       For perhaps ten minutes neither side could find the range and then a full-blooded rush by the homesters saw Seánie O’Connell break away to make a spectacular dash and level up matters.

      There followed a period of fast, exciting hurling in which Skibbereen appeared to be in the ascendant.

      Scores were even and the going got hot so that the crowd was brought to its toes. It faded into a mid-field melee and an interception by Cullinane resulted in Clonakilty storming their opponents’ goal. Tom O’Neill saved well but got injured. His retirement meant a big loss to the homesters. He was replaced by Frank Walley and again Skibbereen reshuffled their men, John O’Donovan going to full-back and Carey becoming a defender. Shortly after a Clonakilty man retired and James Downey came on. Skibbereen were awarded two seventies from which nothing resulted. Clonakilty, however, made better us of a far-out free, which was well-centred. The ball was driven to the wing.

FINE POINT

       Fachtna O’Donovan sent back and from almost on the over-line O’Regan shot a grand point. Skibbereen had several attacks but were held. From a mid-field tussle C. O’Neill sent on to his namesake, H. O’Neill, who drove all the way for a point from almost sixty yards out.

    The homesters sent wide and later optained a seventy, but still failed to register.

     Clonakilty forced a seventy, which was well-centred and the ball crashed in for a goal from a melee. Skibbereen fought back, sent over, returned and shot a point from a free, the scorer being John O’Donovan. Fighting hard in the last few minutes, they were unable to get through. The full-time scores were:

      Clonakilty  -  3 goals 3 points.

      Skibbereen  -  2 goals 2 points.

 

THE TEAMS

       Mr. R. Buttimer, Dunmanway, was the referee and the teams were:-

      Clonakilty - John O’Regan, Wm. McGrath, John McCarthy, Timothy Crowley, Desmond Cullinane, Humphrey Duggan, Fachtna O’Donovan, Cornelius O’Neill, Seán Murphy, James O’Donovan,  Humphrey O’Neill, Liam Ahern, Diarmuid O’Donovan, Neilus O’Driscoll and Patrick O’Flynn.

      Skibbereen  -  John Collins, John O’Donovan, Thomas O’Neill, Cain O’Mahony, John Walsh, Diarmuid Murphy, John Bailey, John Cogan, Gerald McCarthy, Philip O’Neill, John Grogan, Michael Hurley, Seán O’Connell, Gerald Carey and Thomas O’Connell.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

      Clonakilty met Tracton in the county championship on November 26^th in Upton. The standard of hurling was poor due to the lateness of the years. There was little between the sides in the first half, with Micky Nugents hitting two points for Clon but Tracton leading at the break by 1-0 to 0-2. Tracton pulled ahead in the third quarter but Clon drew level with goals from Des Cullinane and Willie McGrath. However, a long season, which saw them beating Fermoy in a replayed county senior football final, caught up with the Clon men in the dying minutes and Tracton went on to win by 3-4 to 2-2.

   

SOUTH-WEST CONVENTION

The South-West Convention was held in Bernard’s Railway Hotel, Dunmanway, on January 14^th, 1945 and the rúnaí, A. Keohane, Enniskeane, reported on the 1944 junior A hurling championship: -

“For the Junior Hurling championship seven teams entered, Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty, Dohenys, Kilbrittain, Rock Rovers (Drimoleague) and Skibbereen. As would be seen, the number of Junior hurling teams was getting less every year and something would have to be done to maintain the standard within the Division. Only one walkover was given in the competition. The quality of the hurling all round compared favourably with other years. Clonakilty again defeated Skibbereen in the final but were beaten in the inter-divisional.”

      

DRIMOLEAGUE

Skibbereen beat Drimoleague in the first round of the junior hurling championship by 7-4 to 1-3. It was one of the few times Drimoleague entered the hurling championship. The Drimoleague team included – John T. Collins, Thomas O’Brien, Seán Hourihane, Denis V. Carey, Con McCarthy, Christopher Crowley, Maurice O’Farrell, Maurice P. Dore, Jerome Kelly, Thomas Vaughan, Philip Twomey, James Forbes, Patrick Daly, Henry Deane, Michael Collins.

Clonakilty beat Kilbrittain in the first round by 5-4 to 2-1 and accounted for Bandon in the second round, 

 

COUNTY JUNIOR HURLING FINAL 1944

31^st Battalion 5-5,  Cloyne `2-4  in Midleton.