1947

Courcey Rovers 8-3      Clonakilty 2nds 3-2

August 24^th in Bandon

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JUNIOR HURLERS BEATEN (‘Clonakilty Comments’  -  August 30^th, 1947)

“After a great struggle our junior hurlers were beaten on Sunday by De Courcey Rovers, who were the better side.”

(This was all that was written following Courcey Rovers' very first win in the SW junior A hurling final.) 

COURCEY ROVERS

A new junior hurling team appeared in 1947. An amalgamation of Ballinadee and Ballinspittle, they called themselves ‘Courcey Rovers,’ after the old Norman family of that area. Ballinadee had played in the first ever West Cork hurling championship in 1905. Their colours were red and white. Ballinspittle were known as "The Old Blues."

      Courcey Rovers were to dominate junior hurling in Carbery for the next 28 years, winning fifteen  junior A titles, before transferring allegiance to the South-East (Carrigdhoun) Division in 1975.

     Courceys reached their first South-West Junior A hurling final in 1947. Clonakilty, on the heel of reaching the county final in 1946, had decided to upgrade to intermediate in 1947. They were unlucky to meet Rathluirc in the first round of the county championship. Rathluirc had actually won the county intermediate title in 1946 but had decided to remain intermediate in 1947. Clon led by a point at half time, 2-2 to 2-1 and stretched the lead to four points in the second half. A big surprise looked imminent but, calling on all their experience, Rathluirc struck for the winning scores in the last quarter, 5-6 to 3-3. They went on to retain their county title.

      With a wealth of hurling talent in the club, Clon’s second string actually reached the SW final, the club’s fifth final in a row.

COURCEYS’ FIRST TITLE

Courcey Rovers and Clonakilty met in the SW final in Bandon on August 24^th but, unfortunately, no account of the game is available. It resulted in a clear win by 8-3 to 3-2 for Courceys, their first SW title. For some peculiar reason most of Courcey Rovers’ victories got very little coverage in the Southern Star.

 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Courcey Rovers were beaten in the first round of the county championship by South-East champions, Carrigaline,  in Riverstick on October 5^th.

S.W CONVENTION

The SW Convention was held in Dunmanway on January 18^th, 1948 and, as regards the Junior 1 Hurling, the rúnaí, Gus Keohane, stated – “The numbers of entries each year was diminishing so, if at all possible, he would advocate all hurling teams being classed in the one division.”

      As regards the 1947 hurling championships the report stated – “Junior hurling (1), Clonakilty, Courcey Rovers, Dohenys, Bandon and O’Donovan Rossa, three games only being played and Courcey Rovers defeating Clonakilty in the final. Junior hurling (2), Bantry, Carbery Rangers, Courcey Rovers, Ballinascarthy, Kilmeen, Kilbrittain, Ibane Rovers and St. Mary’s, seven matches being played and Kilbrittain defeating Ibane in the final.”

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COUNTY JUNIOR HURLING FINAL 1947

Blackrock 6-3,  Castlemartyr 5-0 in Midleton.