Barryroe GAA

26 August, 2023

Well done to Ryan and Olan O'Donovan who both starred for the Carbery Senior footballers as they were defeated by Duhallow in the Cork Premier SFC colleges / divisional semi final on Thursday night last in Pairc Ui Rinn. Due to Carbery's suceess in this competition in 2022 unfortunatly they have no second chance this year 2023.

Report by Eoghan Cormican Irish Examiner 24/08/2023

Duhallow 0-15 Carbery 0-14

The quality throughout wasn’t hectic. But what went a distance in compensating for such was the entertainment plated up during the five minutes of second-half injury-time. And, at the end of those five minutes, it was the men of Duhallow still standing. Duhallow arrived into Thursday evening’s Cork Premier SFC colleges/divisional semi-final with the clear advantage of having played three championship games to Carbery’s none. They arrived into second-half injury-time with an advantage of two points. Carbery, without the injured Ruairi Deane and Damien Gore, were shy key personnel and gametime, but well stocked for resilience. Sub James O’Regan and Ger O’Callaghan kicked a pair to bring them level in the third minute of stoppages. Extra-time was a safe bet. Not so, said Conor O’Callaghan, who took those slips and tore them to shreds. The Cork hurler, from around 45 metres out, used the breeze behind him to produce a kick that Carbery goalkeeper Mick Casey could only get his knuckles to. Mind you, there was still time for last year’s county quarter-finalists to find an equaliser. The levelling attempt came from Cork senior Brian O’Driscoll. His left-footed attempt went high and it went wide.

The turnaround for Duhallow is fairly instant. They’re back in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday evening to face UCC in the colleges/divisional decider. Expect changes. Shane Hickey departed early because of injury. Gerry O’Sullivan, an early second-half introduction, was a revelation. The Duhallow bench was boisterous and brilliant. Of their four points between the 36th and 54th minute, O’Sullivan kicked three and won the foul for the other. The assist for their next point, snapped over by the ageless Donncha O’Connor on 57 minutes to move them 0-13 to 0-12 in front, was provided by sub Liam Moynihan. And it was another bench member, Evan Murphy, who doubled their lead a minute later. The aforementioned O’Connor is also deserving of being singled out. A black card did remove him from the action in the third quarter, but his influence on either side of this temporary dismissal time and again told. At 42, you’d have to tip your cap to the former Cork forward and his contribution of six white flags here.

Although it was his Duhallow side who were the more road tested coming in, it was the uncooked West Cork division who shot three in front inside seven minutes. Ryan O’Donovan’s three first-half points and a spread of six different scorers inside 16 minutes were key factors in Carbery turning around for the second period still three in front (0-9 to 0-6). But their lead position had been lost within six minutes of the restart. They only once more regained it. The second half was level on five occasions. O’Callaghan stepped forward to separate them.

Scorers for Duhallow: D O’Connor (0-6, 0-4 frees); G O’Sullivan (0-3); J Curtin (0-2, 0-1 free); D O’Keeffe (0-1 free), Seamus Hickey, C O’Callaghan, E Murphy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Carbery: R O’Donovan (0-4); Brian O’Driscoll (0-3, 0-3 frees); O O’Donovan, G O’Callaghan (0-2 each); Keith O’Driscoll, K Casey, J O’Regan (0-1 each).

Duhallow: F O’Connor (Cullen); S Curtin (Rockchapel), K Cremin (Boherbue), D Buckley (Boherbue); Shane Hickey (Millstreet), J Murphy (Dromtarriffe), D Cashman (Millstreet); C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), Seamus Hickey (Rockchapel); D Linehan (Castlemagner), D O’Connor (Ballydesmond), L Murphy (Cullen); D O’Keeffe (Dromtarriffe), J Curtin (Rockchapel), M McAuliffe (Rockchapel).

Subs: B O’Keeffe (Dromtarriffe) for Shane Hickey (4 mins, inj); G O’Sullivan (Boherbue) for O’Keeffe (35); L Moynihan (Boherbue) for Murphy (53); E Murphy (Dromtarriffe) for Curtin (55).

Carbery: M Casey (Bantry); K O’Sullivan (Gabriel Rangers), P Collins (Randal Óg), D Twomey (Ballinascarthy); C O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh), R Hourihane (Kilmacabea), G O’Callaghan (Gabriel Rangers); S Ryan (Ballinascarthy), B O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh); K O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh), K O’Driscoll (Gabriel Rangers), K Casey (Bantry); P O’Driscoll (Gabriel Rangers), R O’Donovan (Barryroe), O O’Donovan (Barryroe).

Subs: P Healy (Oliver Plunketts) for O’Callaghan (39-46); J O’Regan (Gabriel Rangers) for Paddy O’Driscoll (54); P Healy (Oliver Plunketts) for K O’Sullivan (64).

Referee: C Dineen.