Final Cavanagh's of Fermoy sponsored Div 1 League, beyond us
May 23, 2026
History will reveal that the final Cavanagh’s of Fermoy, Avondhu Division 1 football league final, with Cavanagh’s business ceasing to be in existence any more, and they after sponsoring the league for a massive total of 34 years was won by Charleville against Killavullen in a game played in Shanballymore, but that would do an scant injustice to the fine game of ball, that was played out.
It was a contrast in styles, Charleville are a huge team, mature, physical, and play to those strengths, while Killavullen were much younger, lighter in frame, and need to keep the ball out of contact zones.
Charleville had the first score of the game, from the eventual man of the match, in Darren Butler from a dead ball situation, close in on goals in the 2nd minute and added another free, in the 5th minute. With Charleville playing downs towards the village end, and with the incline on the field falling that way, and against the wind, Killavullen struggled to get out of their defence, pressed relentlessly by the Charleville forwards and midfielders. Killavullen though, to their credit absorbed the considerable waves of pressure and looked dangerous when going forward, but invariably the only ploy to get out, was through accurate passing, and movement off the shoulder. That tactic relies on every pass sticking, but our forays forward initially were repelled by one loose or not quite on the money pass, that was gobbled up, by the towering half back line of Charleville, in which Danny O Flynn, led the line very well. Conor Buckley scored another point for Charleville in the 15th minute, but then Killavullen were desperately unlucky after a great break and interplay isolated Seamus Fox, who shot along the ground skidded narrowly wide. It showed the template to a methodology that could break down the rear guard of Charleville though. Charleville scored another free in the 18th minute and we were grateful for Michael Walsh in our goals making a great save from Darren Butler after a Charleville break out move, from an inception releasing Darren through the middle of the field, but Michael stood big. Jesse Smith, the Charleville goalkeeper stepped up and put the resultant 45 metre shot over the bar.
We were right back in the game when Eddie Cotter finished low into the corner of the net, after great interplay between the Killavullen players, and Brian Cotter, forging forward created the overlap. Niall Feaheny turned his opponent very sharply and got creased for his ingenuity and on an advantage, Eddie scored. The offending player got away with the indiscretion though, but it meant we were back in the game. David Forde from Charleville, with a huge booming kick, scored a 2-point score, that as good as cancelled out our goal in the 24th minute of the half. Charleville got a point from open play from Cathal O Carroll in the 26th minute, and they also got the final score of the half before the break to leave the score at interval 0-09 to 1-00. That was harsh on Killavullen, for they contributed manly to the game.
We introduced Finn Killion for Mikey O Connor, and Pa Angland for Sean Palmer but it was Charleville were first to score from another free, as much demanded by the vociferous Charleville sideline as given by the referee, something that was to be a theme in the game but had implications later. We lost Kevin Fox to a nasty ankle injury and he was replaced by Conor Griffin, and we got lucky when a free from distance from Charleville dipped alarmingly against the wind, and rebounded off the cross bar, and was driven from the ground over the bar by Conor Buckley, who reacted quickest to the situation that arose in front of him. Killavullen were much more in the game now though, and troubled Charleville no end, with their quick interplay, and guided by our coaches on the line, played a much more expansive game, with width. It bothered Charleville, and we got a real tonic when a shot from Niall Feaheny which looked like dropping safely into the goalkeeper hands, was diverted deftly into the net by Eddie Cotter, in close to goals. Eddie never caught the ball, but the merest deflection was enough to put it beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. We introduced Mark Nagle for Seamus Fox and got the next score when the patience of the referee was tested once too often, with shouts and incorrect calls from the Charleville bench, a free out the field was moved in closer to the goals, after some bickering, and Eoin Birchill scored. We then got the next point, from open play from Eddie Cotter to leave only three between the teams, and the momentum with Killavullen. Colm Hayes was brought on to run hard at the Charleville backs, and he replaced Owen Magner. Charleville answered back through with two frees in quick succession, to push their lead out to five points, with eight minutes remaining.
But the excitement was far from done, and Killavullen were awarded a free, in our half back line, when Liam Cronin was dragged down as he attempting to break forward, more bickering resulted in the free advancing, and the shot was taken outside the arc, and scored, with a bit to spare by Eoin, with a mighty kick, to register two points. In the 28th minute, the lead was brought back down to just a single score, with another booming free from Eoin, and this was the time when the referee should possibly have taken action, to stop the cynicism and maybe earlier. In a welter of excitement, Killavullen pressed forward relentlessly, and Mark Nagle was taken out, in close to goals, but at an angle, that resulted in a yellow card, and another player from Charleville received a red card for foul play, in the same move, for stopping the player, meant to be off the shoulder advancing. Eoin held his nerve and sent the game into extra time.
In the 10 minutes of the initial period of extra time, with Charleville on 14 players, they regrouped took the lead again, from the boot of their substitute Robert Carroll and we lost the influential Eoin Birchill to a black card, with 5 minutes elapsed. That was a big call, from the referee in a tigerish tough game. The next score in another play, came from Darren Butler, again from a dead ball situation, but this player was more than just a free taker, he was the fulcrum of the Charleville attack. Owen Magner was reintroduced for Brian Cotter, who picked up a stinger of a shoulder injury, in a contact against a bigger unit.
Our fate was sealed when in the second period, a period when tired bodies all over the field were succumbing to cramp and tiredness, Charleville kicked a two-point score to put four points between the teams. We had to reintroduce Mikey O Connor for the ailing Ronan Barry, and we scored a close in free from Eoin again. We tried relentlessly to get in for the goal, that we needed, and Niall Feaheny, Mark Nagle and Eddie Cotter all tried valiantly to create the opening that was needed but were rebuked by the resolute defending of the Charleville rear guard, and the bulk of them. It was enough to get over the line, and when the cup, the long standing Fitzgerald Cup, presented first to the Avondhu Board in 1922, by the traders of Fermoy, was given over to the Charleville captain, in Brian O Connell, he was most gracious in his short speech of the titanic battle that they had been put though.
The final score, after Extra Time was 0-17 to 2-07
The physio bill after this game will be immense.
The cup was presented by Brian O Regan, Assistant Secretary of the Avondhu Board, and representing the host club. Shanballymore are to be credited with great improvements to their grounds, of late, new cement surface on the entrance, a walk way all around the field, new and more expansive catch netting behind the goals, and a smaller U12 playing pitch up at the back of their main field.
Well done to that club.
The team and scorers were.
- Michael Walsh
- Tomas Fennell
- Kevin Fox
- Fionn Magner
- Brian Cotter
- Liam Cronin
- Sean Palmer
- Mikey O Connor
- Ronan Barry
- Owen Magner
- Eoin Birchill (0-06F, 2 x 2 Pts)
- Jamie Magner
- Seamus Fox
- Niall Feaheny
- Eddie Cotter (2-01)
Substitutes
- Finn Killion for Mikey O Connor
- Pa Angland for Sean Palmer
- Conor Griffin for Kevin Fox (injured)
- Mark Nagle for Seamus Fox
- Colm Hayes for Owen Magner
- Owen Magner for Brian Cotter (injured)
- Mikey O Connor for Ronan Barry