Not to be, in Red FM Div 7 County Hurling Final League final.
July 13, 2025
Last night in the splendid community playing pitches of Ballyanly, Inniscarra, Killavullen overcame an ice cold start in the Red FM County Division 7 hurling league final, to be in contention at half time, but ultimately to fail to our west Cork opponents, who scored three goals on the night.
Diarmuid O Mathuna’s, were first to score from their useful, young and lively corner former, Jamie Lucey and added another from their full forward Caolan O Donovan, in the 2nd minute. Darragh O Grady scored a good point for us, from a particularly crowded half forward line in the 4th minute, but our West Cork opponents scored again, from open play from their half back, No. 7 and then from their half forward Gearoid O Donovan in the 8th minute. They went further ahead with a converted free from their free taker, Caolan O Donovan, who has an unusual stance over the ball, and spun his hurley repeatedly in his hands as he composed himself before every free, and though unorthodox, he was deadly effective. We were dealt a mortal blow when their corner forward, already mentioning in this report finished with style to the roof of our net and gave Sean in our goals no chance with a fierce shot. Killavullen moved some personnel around the field to try to get to grips with the game, a game at this stage that was rapidly going away from us, and only 10 minutes gone.
Jamie Magner and Liam Cronin stood up though and showed the leadership that was the hall mark of our great league campaign. Jamie scored a difficult free from distance but O’ Mathuna’s replied with another point from their full forward. Jamie again replied, this time from open play, after a strong determined run, from the 40-metre line. Another response from our opponents, from a free after we were in a position to clear the ball, but fumbled it, and got caught in possession. We forced a 65 metre shot after Colm Looney’s shot got deflected out by one of their backs, and Jamie nailed the resultant 65. Seamus O Mahony was introduced for Kevin Fox, and more positional changes seemed to work the oracle as we gradually got up to speed with the game, and reeled off a series of impressive scores, to get us right back in the game. Liam Cronin scored an inspirational score, after gathering possession, and marauding through the middle of the field, through teak tough opponents, to shorten his grip, and send the sliotar through the posts. Maichael Cagney received a free after some combative play in the middle of the field, and Jamie landed a huge free from distance, after Eddie Cotter was fouled. Owen Magner, now operating on the forty was working very hard and he combined with Mike O Connor and Seamus to foil a clearance, and work the space to score a rallying score. Jamie added another free just before the interval, which came at the wrong time for us, and the sliotar in Sean Palmer’s hand to leave us only trailing by a point at the interval, 1-07 to 0-09 in the balmy conditions. That fight back from being seven points down at one stage took an extreme effort in the conditions and was so commendable. Both teams had seven wides on the night, in that opening period.
Diarmuid O Mathuna’s were first to score in the second period from a free, before Colm Looney forced a good save from the West Cork custodian on a ball that whizzed at pace on the rock hard ground. O Mathuna’s were further ahead with another converted free, before Padraig Looney zipped a ball just over the bar while on the run that had the same West Cork goalkeeper looking anxiously at this top left hand corner, so close was it to being under the bar. Caolan, their free taker scored another point from a free, that was harsh on our defenders, in lie of the robustness of the challenges that here to now, were not deemed to be frees but Mikey O Corner scored a great score for us, from his centre forward berth after a brave catch, in the 12th minute of the half. Again, O Mathuna’s engineered a response, and converted another free, before two great points, in quick succession from Owen Magner had us within a point of our challengers, by the 20th minute of the game. Alert scores from Owen who reacted quickest to breaking balls, that came his way. We were dealt a mortal blow though, in the next play of the game, when a long delivery from midfield deceived all the backs and forwards amassed in and around the goals, and bounced fortuitously, past Sean in our goals. It was a score that everyone presumed someone else was dealing with it, and ultimately no one did, and it nestled in our net. Jamie responded with a huge free, but our race was run when their full forward scored another goal in the 26th minute from a breaking ball to seal our fate. The same player sent his West Cork supporters into raptures with another converted free before Jamie replied with our repost, but the full-time whistle sounded shortly there after and we were defeated, for the first time, this year.
No fault in that statistic, in what has been a great year thus far for the hurling in the club, as we prepare to defend our North Cork Junior A Championship, which begins, on the 3rd of August. Killavullen will hope to have a plethora of players back from injuries, holidays and unavoidable other situations by then, with six enforced absentees since the round 4 game, played on the 19th of April.
The cup was presented to the Diarmuid O Mathuna’s captain, Jeremiah Hurley and he praised all the necessaries before lifting the cup, in front of his joyous supporters. We will all meet again in the Division 6 league of 2026 for both teams won promotion, and maybe later in the championship as well, if both can get out of their respective divisions.
The team and those who scored were;
Sean Woulfe
Eoin Birchill
Eoghan Buckley
Sean Palmer
Michael Cagney
Liam Cronin (0-01)
Eddie Cotter
Michael Cagney
Charlie Lillis
Darragh O Grady (0-01)
Mikey O Conner (0-01)
Padraig Looney (0-01)
Owen Magner (0-03)
Colm Looney
Jamie Magner (0-08, 0-06F, 0-01 x 65M,)
Substitutes
Seamus O Mahony for Kevin Fox
Founded in 1968, The Diarmuid O’Mathuna’s GAA club, which is based in the Castletown-Kenneigh /Coppeen area of Enniskeane in Cork, was named after Jeremiah O’Mahony, who was a local man involved in the fight for Irish freedom and was accidentally killed on the 5th of March 1921