Carrigdhoun’s footballers had plenty to crow about in 2024 as they made their mark across all competitions.
The beginning of the year, Valley’s did their usual trick of getting their hands on the U21A Football Championship in March, but didn’t make a return to county competition until November.
As did Ballinhassig, who took the B title, losing out to a Kilmurry side in the county semi-final, a team with a hat full of lads with Munster Junior medals.
Ballinhassig at Junior level may still depend on Diarmuid O’Sullivan at the heart of the team, but Darragh O’Sullivan has an eye for goal that might yet bridge the gap, since the departure of Cillian Tyers.
One of the eye-catching performances of the U21 A Football Championships was the lads from Riverstick.
Ok, they failed to ignite in the semi-final, but Valleys lost to the eventual county champions by a goal, but there were green shoots for Ballymartle, Mathew Higgins and Simon Dorney, and not forgetting some of the older bunch in Rickard Cahalane could see Ballymartle in the mix for the Procure.ie Junior A Football Championship in 2025.
However, the exit of Donnacha Desmond to ply his football trade with Ballincollig but remain on Ballymartle’s hurling books will not help their cause.
Valleys will be happy with their underage talent as it continues to emerge from the Brinny production line, as names such as Johnson, Guinane, McCarthy and Carthew, are among a group set to feature in the green hoops for the foreseeable feature.
The Innishannon outfit didn’t make it out of their group, but Fiachra Lynch and William Hurley showed well in the league.
Their neighbours, Kinsale, who had survived the previous season by defeating St Michael’s in the play off had a decent time in 2025.
Beating Ballydesmond in the opening round of the championship seemed to settle early nerves, as they eventually lost out to Canovee in the McCarthy Insurance Premier Junior A Football Semi Final by a single point.
For the seasiders, Stephen O’Neill has again proven to be a safe pair of hands in between the sticks, as the evergreen Brian Coughlan was on point, but the Murphy brothers, Kian O’Callaghan, Gearoid Kearney and David Looney are part of an emerging talent.
However, the recent performances by a number of the starlets from the Bandon Road grounds, including Ollie Buckley David Forde and Oisin Ryan, on the Kinsale Community School U18 outfit, suggests Kinsale are on the mend.
Hoping to join Kinsale at the premier level were Ballygarvan but faith had other endings in store as Inniscarra grabbed the win in injury time in the McCarthy Insurance Junior A Football Final.
While Ballygarvan were heartbroken, there were some standout performance.
Possibly the most potent attack in the county, Evan O’Connor, Ray O’Halloran, Piaras O’ Halloran and Daniel Mackey only needed the slightest chance to find the back of the net.
Sean Brady was simply outstanding in the final and would have certainly earned that man of the match title had Inniscarra not grabbed the late win.
Who can forget the introduction of Kevin Lyons in the group stages of the championship in the SE, where he helped Ballygarvan with two goals in as many minutes as Ballinhassig looked set to cause an upset.
However, of all those players, it's Ray O’Halloran who is the one that emerges as the Ballygarvan player in the shake down for the player of the year.
In one word, he’s ‘class’.
Leads by example, can score as well as setting up players, and is almost unstoppable with the ball in hand.
If leading by example is important, then no club in the division was as successful as Carrigaline.
Not only did they defeat Nemo in the McCarthy Group Insurance League Final, where Eanna Desmond and Kevin O’Reilly, among others, were outstanding.
Will anyone ever forget that shoot out against Kanturk and the performance of Ryan Delaney.
This Carrigaline team had heroes throughout its ranks whenever the tide of opposition threatened to engulf them, Jack McCarthy, the Coakleys, the list is endless.
However, by consensus one player, just about edged the player of the year.
For several reasons: his performance in the county colours; the quality of the leadership both on and off the pitch and to make the difficult decision to transfer to a club but not forgetting where you came from.
So, on those grounds, Carrigaline’s Brian O’Driscoll takes the accolade.
Brian O'Driscoll, Carrigdhoun footballer of the Year, (Bernard Laverty)
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