County Call for Local Clubs – Ballygarvan and Belgooly

Two Local Clubs Prepare for County Action This Weekend

JJ Hurley

Belgooly and Ballygarvan face difficult assignments this weekend as they take to the county stage in their respective competitions.

Ballygarvan, who claimed the Procure.ie South East Junior A Football Title following a late score from the ever-impressive Evan O'Connor, take on Charleville in Glenville on Saturday at 3pm.

This is the second year in a row that the South East champions will take on opponents from the Avondhu division.

Last year, the opposition came from Liscarroll/Churchtown, and while Ballygarvan eventually ran out winners on a scoreline of 1-12 to 0-8, they were pushed hard in the first half of the contest.

A lesson learned — the Garvan cannot take anything for granted, a point emphasised by team coach Liam Sheehy following the divisional final, when he suggested his side would be taking the county run one game at a time.

Racked by several injuries this year, notably Sean Brady and Ray O'Halloran, Saturday will certainly ask questions of the panel as they seek to go one step further in 2025.

It’s not been a vintage year by their own standards.

A draw in the early stages of the championship to neighbours Ballinhassig, a tough semi-final encounter with Ballymartle, and a testing final against Carrigaline all asked questions of their resolve.

Ballygarvan and Carrigaline facing off in the recent SE Procure.ie Junior A Football Championship. (B Laverty)

That said, Ballygarvan are capable of turning it on when required.

The first weapon in their armoury is that they are a solid footballing side.

Secondly, they have proven in 2025 that when the going gets tough, Garvan are well able to get going.

Confidence comes only from the present, never from looking in the rear-view mirror, and it’s expected that the champions will come out with all guns blazing on Saturday from the throw-in.

On Sunday, Belgooly face Ballinora in the quarter-final of the Junior A Hurling County Championship in Minane Bridge (note change of venue) at 2pm.

Maybe not a venue Ballinora would have chosen — Tracton dumped the Muskerry side out of the competition there last year en route to lifting the county title.

Since that defeat, Ballinora’s U21 hurlers reached the County B Final in 2024, and their footballers now face a replay in the McCarthy Group Insurance Intermediate A Football Final against Illen Rovers.

The Junior A Hurling County is a competition Ballinora have had their eyes on for several years but haven’t quite managed to get over the line.

Belgooly may go into this game as underdogs, but with several notable scalps under their belts — including Valley Rovers in the semi-final and Kinsale in the Ross Oil South East Junior A Hurling Final — the ‘Goolies’ are capable of springing a surprise.

Minane Bridge is a happy hunting ground for the Carrigdhoun side — a bit like what Thurles is to Cork hurling.

However, they will need to be at the top of their game if they are to push the Muskerry side all the way — a fact team Bainisteoir Seanie McGrath knows only too well.

If there’s one constant in the Belgooly ranks, it’s Barry Dwyer — possibly still possessing the sweetest strike in the South East — aided by a potent forward line including the O'Donovan brothers and Ryan Long.

As the South East final proved, their defence is capable of shutting out any forward line, but they’ll need to be at their sharpest, as any slip-up will be punished.

Certainly, Belgooly have nothing to lose — Ballinora will be expected to advance — but an appearance in a county semi-final must be an attractive proposition for the Carrigdhoun champions.

 Action from the recent SE Ross Oil Junior A Hurling Final Belgooly V Kinsale (B Laverty)