Fermoy will find
THESE are heady times for Fermoy’s GAA fraternity. On Sunday next in Pairc Ui Rinn, the club’s hurlers will be contesting the county premier intermediate final just two years after they were crowned intermediate kingpins.
The footballers won the intermediate title in 2015, and they too are hot on the trail of premier glory, having qualified for the decider against Kiskeam, which is scheduled for October 23.
It’s a significant achievement in itself, all the more so since the two panels basically comprise the same group of players, and it speaks volumes for their dedication and adaptability that they are now on the brink of claiming senior status in both codes.
Barring their path in the hurling decider are Bandon, and they are also chasing a unique double, having advanced to the intermediate football final just twelve months after going all the way at junior level.
As with Fermoy, Bandon are abounding in dual players, so, regardless of the outcome, there will be no reason for the vanquished side to suggest that their demanding season was a factor in their demise.
It’s a final pairing that wouldn’t have been widely predicted at the start of the season, but, at the same time, it’s no major surprise that Fermoy and Bandon are the last two standing in what is a highly competitive grade.
Of the two, perhaps Bandon were least fancied to make an impact, given how they fared out in last year’s championship. They registered just one win in four outings in 2015 when they were well beaten, 1-19 to 0-13, by Valley Rovers in Round 4.
Fermoy also made their exit prior to the quarter finals last year, but they went under by just a point to Kanturk, and they were convincing winners over Valley Rovers in their previous outing, so, all in all, their transition to premier ranks had gone off smoothly enough.
The experience gained in 2015 meant they were always likely to compete well again this year, but they received an early reminder that the road ahead was laden with pitfalls when they were forced to rely on a couple of late goals to snatch victory from Kilworth’s grasp in Round 1.
Their progress since then has been anything but straightforward, as they were beaten by Cloyne in Round 2A, while they had to dig deep to regain the initiative – after conceding five points on the trot to fall two behind early in the second half – and grind out a merited 0-16 to 0-13 victory over Inniscarra in the quarter final.
They produced their best performance of the season against Charleville in Round 3, but they almost came a cropper again when rivalry was renewed with Cloyne in the semi-final,