THE LAST TRAINING night before they faced Imokilly this year in Cork’s ‘Little All-Ireland’ final, the hurlers of Sarsfield at last broke home turf with their studs.
It was a training session like any other. Manager Johnny Crowley and his coach Diarmuid O’Sullivan reminded them of that. But the symbolic nature of getting back onto their pitch twelve months after Storm Babet swept through Glanmire and wreaked utter destruction on the Sarsfield pitches and facilities was unmistakeable.
They lost the final to Imokilly by nine points. It happens. But nobody questioned their motives or where they were heading.
Adversity breeds character.
Sarsfield just strapped themselves down for the Munster campaign. They caught a Feakle team that was stepping with wide-eyed wonder onto the provincial stage after so long away and mowed them down by eight points.
On the other side of the draw were Ballygunner. They polished off the Waterford championship in typical fashion, before Doon pushed them all the way in a quarter-final despite the fast turnaround the Limerick champions faced.
In the semi-final Ballygunner looked more like their old self in putting double-digits on Loughmore-Castleiney.
They knew Sarsfields. Had their number. Last year Sars came through an emotional and trying campaign after losing the use of their grounds and winning Cork felt like an ending in itself.
When they met in Munster, the scoreboard at the end read Ballygunner 2-20 Sarsfields 0-9.
This time it was different. Shane O’Regan became Sarsfields’ super-sub to rival the ‘Gunners Harry Ruddle. Sent in on the 44th minute, his evening’s work concluded with 2-3 in brackets after the game.
The scoreboard this time? Sarsfields 3-20 Ballygunner 2-19.
Manager Johnny Crowley. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
On the pitch, they cast a wary eye north towards perennial Derry and sometimes Ulster champions Slaughtneil, a side rejuvenated and determined to make the most of their chance after a few years just off their own pace. A place in the All-Ireland final awaits the winners in Newbridge on Sunday.
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Off the field, it’s all taking shape after a nightmarish 14 months.
“We are not fully finished, there are bits and pieces to be done, tarmacadam and walls and we expect to get to them in the next three to four weeks, or just after Christmas,” says chairman Keith Mulcahy.
Bricks and mortar is one thing. The club have suffered huge personal losses in the last two years. The most high-profile one was the renowned Cork dual legend Teddy McCarthy who was vice-chairman, one that relished his role as part-mudguard, part-enforcer and protector of Mulcahy.
In August, they lost Conor McCarthy. A former player, he went straight to coaching and took every age group from under-6 to seniors and was the father of present Cork player Cathal.
“It’s been a really difficult year for Cathal, he had to get an operation on his shoulder and Conor was sick while that was going on and passed away in the summer so we had to deal with that this year,” says Mulcahy.
“It’s been a turbulent year, so many ups and down but I am hopeful we are coming out the other side of it now. Please God everything goes our way on Sunday.”
After the floods subsided, they assessed their options. But as Mulcahy explains, they, “Had no choice.”
With multiple teams in hurling and camogie, they embarked on a policy to get the work done and worry about the finances after.
The grass pitch required a full rebuild. They used the insurance money. The silt from the flood choked up the drainage system. Naturally, it didn’t cover everything but the Irish Government stepped in and made up the shortfall. They now have an even better sand-based pitch.
When they opened the electric boxes of the floodlights, black gunk came back at them. To switch them on would have been to fry everyone in the vicinity. They were replaced.
Even the astroturf, installed in 2019, was curled up at the edges, like an unruly mat. They started with that and had the work complete by March. It provided a venue for training. As busy as that pitch got throughout the year, nobody kicked out in the bed, everyone just budged up a little.
The gym was destroyed, all the spin bikes and cardio machines left useless. It’s all new now.
You express your surprise at how fast all of this was done.
“Well, I suppose everybody will tell you that in difficult times, everybody pulls together and the people in the club pull together. We have some brilliant people on the committee, we have a great grounds committee,” said Mulcahy.
“The people of Glanmire have been really good as well and have helped us over the last twelve months, getting back on the field.
“I think what the GAA is all about, is the people in it. I can honestly say that the work that went on in the last twelve months, is a credit to them. It really is well deserved. Without the people, we wouldn’t be back on it.”
Winning Munster was seismic. The celebrations afterwards was dotted with children everywhere. They had their club back.
“To be honest with you, nobody gave us a chance. Nobody in the country gave us a chance. They gave us a right trouncing last year, beat us by 17 points in Walsh Park,” said Mulcahy.
Diarmuid O'Sullivan animated on the sideline against Feakle. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
“But I knew our lads were way better than that and they were anxious to give a good account of themselves against Ballygunner and were determined going up on the bus to Thurles that morning.
“I said to myself, ‘These lads are well up for it.’ Thankfully on the day, it went exceptionally well.”
Now for Slaughtneil.
“Ah, I saw their game against Cushendall on TV and it was one of the best games I have ever seen, to be honest. It had it all; hurling, power, physicality. It was very competitive,” he adds.
“We are under no illusion about what we are going to have on Sunday. Look, there’s people saying that we are favourites, we might be second favourites for the All-Ireland behind Na Fianna. But Johnny doesn’t take any notice of it, nor Diarmuid.
“We know it is going to be a battle on Sunday and they are a very, very good side. It’s going to be very physical and hard, a very, very different game for us to what Ballygunner was.
“The fact we have beaten Ballygunner now, people are giving us a chance but I think it’s all on the day and how we can perform. But it’s going to be vastly different.”
Brendan Rogers, Shane McGuigan, Cormac O’Doherty, Ruairí Ó Mianáin and company will not make it easy for them.
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'What the GAA is all about, is the people in it' - After biblical floods, Sarsfields bounce back
THE LAST TRAINING night before they faced Imokilly this year in Cork’s ‘Little All-Ireland’ final, the hurlers of Sarsfield at last broke home turf with their studs.
It was a training session like any other. Manager Johnny Crowley and his coach Diarmuid O’Sullivan reminded them of that. But the symbolic nature of getting back onto their pitch twelve months after Storm Babet swept through Glanmire and wreaked utter destruction on the Sarsfield pitches and facilities was unmistakeable.
They lost the final to Imokilly by nine points. It happens. But nobody questioned their motives or where they were heading.
Adversity breeds character.
Sarsfield just strapped themselves down for the Munster campaign. They caught a Feakle team that was stepping with wide-eyed wonder onto the provincial stage after so long away and mowed them down by eight points.
On the other side of the draw were Ballygunner. They polished off the Waterford championship in typical fashion, before Doon pushed them all the way in a quarter-final despite the fast turnaround the Limerick champions faced.
In the semi-final Ballygunner looked more like their old self in putting double-digits on Loughmore-Castleiney.
They knew Sarsfields. Had their number. Last year Sars came through an emotional and trying campaign after losing the use of their grounds and winning Cork felt like an ending in itself.
When they met in Munster, the scoreboard at the end read Ballygunner 2-20 Sarsfields 0-9.
This time it was different. Shane O’Regan became Sarsfields’ super-sub to rival the ‘Gunners Harry Ruddle. Sent in on the 44th minute, his evening’s work concluded with 2-3 in brackets after the game.
The scoreboard this time? Sarsfields 3-20 Ballygunner 2-19.
On the pitch, they cast a wary eye north towards perennial Derry and sometimes Ulster champions Slaughtneil, a side rejuvenated and determined to make the most of their chance after a few years just off their own pace. A place in the All-Ireland final awaits the winners in Newbridge on Sunday.
Off the field, it’s all taking shape after a nightmarish 14 months.
“We are not fully finished, there are bits and pieces to be done, tarmacadam and walls and we expect to get to them in the next three to four weeks, or just after Christmas,” says chairman Keith Mulcahy.
Bricks and mortar is one thing. The club have suffered huge personal losses in the last two years. The most high-profile one was the renowned Cork dual legend Teddy McCarthy who was vice-chairman, one that relished his role as part-mudguard, part-enforcer and protector of Mulcahy.
In August, they lost Conor McCarthy. A former player, he went straight to coaching and took every age group from under-6 to seniors and was the father of present Cork player Cathal.
“It’s been a really difficult year for Cathal, he had to get an operation on his shoulder and Conor was sick while that was going on and passed away in the summer so we had to deal with that this year,” says Mulcahy.
“It’s been a turbulent year, so many ups and down but I am hopeful we are coming out the other side of it now. Please God everything goes our way on Sunday.”
After the floods subsided, they assessed their options. But as Mulcahy explains, they, “Had no choice.”
With multiple teams in hurling and camogie, they embarked on a policy to get the work done and worry about the finances after.
The grass pitch required a full rebuild. They used the insurance money. The silt from the flood choked up the drainage system. Naturally, it didn’t cover everything but the Irish Government stepped in and made up the shortfall. They now have an even better sand-based pitch.
When they opened the electric boxes of the floodlights, black gunk came back at them. To switch them on would have been to fry everyone in the vicinity. They were replaced.
Even the astroturf, installed in 2019, was curled up at the edges, like an unruly mat. They started with that and had the work complete by March. It provided a venue for training. As busy as that pitch got throughout the year, nobody kicked out in the bed, everyone just budged up a little.
The gym was destroyed, all the spin bikes and cardio machines left useless. It’s all new now.
You express your surprise at how fast all of this was done.
“The people of Glanmire have been really good as well and have helped us over the last twelve months, getting back on the field.
“I think what the GAA is all about, is the people in it. I can honestly say that the work that went on in the last twelve months, is a credit to them. It really is well deserved. Without the people, we wouldn’t be back on it.”
Winning Munster was seismic. The celebrations afterwards was dotted with children everywhere. They had their club back.
“To be honest with you, nobody gave us a chance. Nobody in the country gave us a chance. They gave us a right trouncing last year, beat us by 17 points in Walsh Park,” said Mulcahy.
“But I knew our lads were way better than that and they were anxious to give a good account of themselves against Ballygunner and were determined going up on the bus to Thurles that morning.
“I said to myself, ‘These lads are well up for it.’ Thankfully on the day, it went exceptionally well.”
Now for Slaughtneil.
“Ah, I saw their game against Cushendall on TV and it was one of the best games I have ever seen, to be honest. It had it all; hurling, power, physicality. It was very competitive,” he adds.
“We are under no illusion about what we are going to have on Sunday. Look, there’s people saying that we are favourites, we might be second favourites for the All-Ireland behind Na Fianna. But Johnny doesn’t take any notice of it, nor Diarmuid.
“We know it is going to be a battle on Sunday and they are a very, very good side. It’s going to be very physical and hard, a very, very different game for us to what Ballygunner was.
“The fact we have beaten Ballygunner now, people are giving us a chance but I think it’s all on the day and how we can perform. But it’s going to be vastly different.”
Brendan Rogers, Shane McGuigan, Cormac O’Doherty, Ruairí Ó Mianáin and company will not make it easy for them.
But Sarsfields are no strangers to hard times.
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all-ireland club hurling back from the brink Cork Hurling Sarsfields