Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne claim first O’Sullivan Cup title
O’SULLIVAN CUP (KERRY COLLEGES SFC) FINAL PS CHORCHA DHUIBHNE.......0-11 ST BRENDANS, KILLARNEY....1-3 A GOAL after just 45 seconds was St Brendan’s College’s only score from play as the Killarney school were comprehensively outplayed by a hungrier, stronger and simply better Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne team that claimed a first O’sullivan Cup title for the Dingle school.
It’s not the first time the O’sullivan Cup has resided back in west Kerry but it is the first time that PS Chorcha Dhuibhne has won it and the desire to do so was evident right from the start, even after conceding that first minute goal to Gavin Kelly.
Within the next seven minutes Bryan O’shea skewed a scoreable free wide and Kieran Murphy, from Glenflesk, pulled an effort wide for The Sem, as the Dingle students looked a little overawed by the occasion.
Still, a 12th minute Tomás Ó Cíobháin free settled them down and from there on they never relented against a St Brendan’s side that greatly underperformed.
With Cathal Ó Luing and Padraig Ó Sé central figures – in every sense – in the PS Chorcha Dhuibhne defence, Barra Ó Súilleabháin and Eanna Ó Conchúir provided a winning platform at midfield where they enjoyed much supremacy against the two Kieran Murphy’s in The Sem’s midfield.
Dara Ó Sé, switching to the ‘forty’ with Ó Súilleabháin, was also a central player, as was Tomás Ó Cíobháin, who was allowed to roam out from full forward and use his considerable strength and skill to win outfield ball and drive hard and often at the St Brendan’s defence.
From the 17th minute to half time the west Kerry students reeled off six unanswered points to lead 0-7 to 1-1 at half time, with Dara Ó Sé converting four frees as The Sem defence struggled to legitimately keep a rampant set of PS Chorcha Dhuibhne forwards at bay.
The second half continued in much the same vein with St Brendans struggling to get any momentum going or to really threaten Chorcha Dhuibhne in any meaningful way.
After an early free from Tomás Ó Cíobháin, Padraig Ó Sé thumped over a great point, set up by Maitiú Ó Flatharta who gave a ‘man of the match’ performance at wing back.
Micheál Ó Flannúra almost wrapped it up in the 42nd minute when his low shot beat The Sem keeper Roy Kelliher but Brian Lynch took the ball off the line to give St Brendans a lifeline.
Conor Keane’s free reduced the margin to five, 0-10 to 1-2, but critically the Killarney college never threatened Gavin Ó Curráin’s goal.
Ó Flannúra and Keane (free) traded points in the final quarter before Jack Ó Súilleabháin forced a late save from Kelliher, but PS Chorcha Dhuibhne already had both hands on the cup.
Apart from winning their first O’sullivan Cup title as PS Chorcha Dhuibhne, this is a morale boosting win for the Dingle school ahead of next Wednesday’s Corn Ui Mhuirí quarter-final against St Flannan’s.
St Brendan’s will need to show much improvement if they are to overcome reigning Corn Ui Mhuiri champions, Colaiste Chriost Rí next week.
PS CHORCHA DHUIBHNE: G Ó Currain (Dingle), P Ó Conchúir (Dingle), C Ó Luing (An Ghaeltacht), T Ó Súilleabháin (Dingle), P Ó Dubháin (Dingle), P Ó Sé (0-1) (An Ghaeltacht), M Ó Flatharta (Dinlge), D Ó Sé (04f) (An Ghaeltacht), E Ó Conchúir (0-1) (An Ghaeltacht), B Ó Raoill (Lispole), B Ó Súilleabháin (Dingle), J Ó Súilleabháin (Dingle), S Ó hullacháin (An Ghaeltacht), T Ó Cíobháin (0-4, 3f) (Lispole), M Ó Flannúra (0-1) (Dingle).
Subs: C Ó Bambaíre (Dingle) for Ó Raoill, M Ó Cíobháin (Lispole) for T Ó Cíobháin, T Ó Fathaigh (Dingle) for Ó hullacháin.
ST BRENDANS: R Kelliher (Glenflesk), D O’keeffe (Fossa), C Sheahan (Legion), B Lynch (Spa), D Osterloh (Fossa), D O’donoghue (Glenflesk), C Ó Lionáird (Dr Crokes), K D Murphy (Kilcummin), K I Murphy (Glenflesk), B O’shea (Dr Crokes), C Lawlor (Crokes), C Keane (0-2f) (Legion), G O’shea (Crokes), D Stack (Crokes), G Kelly (1-1, 0-1f) (Glenflesk).
Subs: B O’donoghue (Glenflesk) for K I Murphy, J Aherne (Spa) for Stack, R O’riordan (Spa) for Kelly, K I Murphy for Keane, D Galvin (Dr Crokes) for G O’shea.
REFEREE: P Hayes (O’rahillys)