Carbery Junior A Football Championship

The Carbery Junior A Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bandon Co-op Carbery Junior A Football Championship and abbreviated to the Carbery JAFC) is an annual club Gaelic football competition organised by the West Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in West Cork, Ireland, deciding the competition winners through a group stage and knockout format. It is the most prestigious competition in West Cork Gaelic football.

Carbery Junior A Football Championship
IrishCraobh Peile Sóisear A Cairbre
CodeGaelic football
Founded1926; 98 years ago (1926)
Region Carbery (GAA)
TrophyMick McCarthy Cup
No. of teams16
Title holdersBorder Barryroe (2nd title)
Most titlesBorder Bandon (16 titles)
SponsorsBandon Co-op
Official websiteCarbery GAA

Introduced in 1926 as the West Cork Junior Championship, it was initially a straight knockout tournament. The competition went through a number of format changes since then, including the introduction of a back-door or second chance for beaten teams. The competition took on its current format in 2022, adding a round-robin group stage and limiting the number of entrants.

In its current format, the Carbery Junior Football Championship begins with a group stage in late summer. The 16 participating teams are divided into four groups of four and play each other in a round-robin system. The two top-ranking teams in each group proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final. The winner of the Carbery Junior Championship, as well as receiving the Mick McCarthy Cup, also qualifies for the subsequent Cork Junior A Football Championship.

The competition has been won by 22 teams, 18 of which have won it more than once. Bandon are the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 16 times. Barryroe are the title-holders, after defeating Kilmacabea by 1-12 to 0-14 in the 2023 final.

Format edit

Group stage edit

The 16 teams are divided into four groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least three games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage.

Knockout stage edit

Quarter-finals: The four group winners are paired with the four group runners-up. Four teams qualify for the next round.

Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners contest this round. The two winners from these games advance to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

Teams edit

2023 Teams edit

Team Location Colours Championship Titles Last Championship Title
  Argideen Rangers Timoleague Maroon and white 1 1994
  Ballinascarthy Ballinascarthy Red and white 2 1983
  Bandon Bandon Yellow and white 16 2015
  Barryroe Barryroe Blue and navy 1 2023
  Carbery Rangers Rosscarbery Green, white and gold 10 2003
  Castlehaven Castlehaven Blue and white 2 1976
  Clonakilty Clonakilty Green and red 4 1977
  Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas Castletown-Kinneigh Blue and yellow 0
  Kilbrittain Kilbrittain Black and yellow 1 1926
  Kilmacabea Leap Green and yellow 3 2020
  Kilmeen Rossmore Blue and white 0
  Newcestown Newcestown Red and gold 4 1990
  Randal Óg Ballinacarriga Yellow and green 0
  St. Colum's Kealkill Black and orange 1 2013
  St Mary's Enniskean Yellow and black 2 2014
  Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh's Caheragh Red and yellow 7 2021

Trophy and medals edit

The Mick McCarthy Perpetual Memorial Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was commissioned to honour Mick McCarthy who played for O'Donovan Rossa, Carbery, Cork and Munster, and who died from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident on 5 February 1998, at the age of 33.[1][2][3] The cup was unveiled in October 1998 and first presented to Eugene Murphy, captain of the Carbery Rangers team which won the 1998 final. The cup replaced the Little Norah Cup which, after being donated by Beamish and Crawford in 1949, was last presented in 1997.[4][5]

In accordance with GAA rules, the West Cork Board awards a set of medals to the championship winners.

Sponsorship edit

Period Sponsor(s) Name
Buckley Financial The Buckley Financial South West Junior A Football Championship [6]
2014-2018 Rowa/Rowex Pharma The Rowa/Rowex Pharma South West Junior A Football Championship [7]
2019- Bandon Co-Op The Bandon Co-Op Carbery Junior A Football Championship [8]

Roll of honour edit

# Team Wins Runners-up Years won Years Runners-up
1   Bandon 16 2 1929, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1960, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1986, 1989, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015 1941, 1964
2   Dohenys 12 10 1927, 1931, 1935, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1992, 1993 1928, 1930, 1932, 1940, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1961, 1963, 1990
3   Carbery Rangers 10 14 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1980, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1998, 2003 1942, 1943, 1946, 1955, 1956, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2020
4   Bantry Blues 9 7 1928, 1932, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1985 1931, 1936, 1937, 1947, 1967, 1970, 1971
5   O'Donovan Rossa 7 7 1945, 1961, 1963, 1974, 1979, 1982, 2005 1933, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1976, 2004
  Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh's 7 5 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2021 1977, 1998, 2008, 2013, 2018
7   Newcestown 4 6 1964, 1967, 1988, 1990 1962, 1965, 1966, 1981, 1982, 1989
  Clann na nGael 4 5 1941, 1942, 1943 (Rock Rovers), 1981 1958, 1984, 1988, 2010, 2011
  Clonakilty 4 4 1930, 1948, 1949, 1977 1926, 1929, 1972, 1974
  Ilen Rovers 4 1 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 1997
11   Kilmacabea 3 2 2017, 2018, 2020 2015, 2023
  Enniskean 3 1 1933, 1934, 1936 1938
13   Ballinascarthy 2 8 1978, 1983 1959, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1985, 1986, 1991, 2019
  Gabriel Rangers 2 4 2010, 2016 1979, 1983, 2005, 2014
  St Mary's 2 3 2009, 2014 1944, 1945, 2021
  Darrara 2 2 1954, 1955 1934, 1953
  Castlehaven 2 0 1973, 1976
  St James 2 0 2019, 2022
19   St Colum's 1 3 2013 2001, 2006, 2016
  Barryroe 1 3 2023 1980, 1994, 2003
  Kilbrittain 1 2 1926 1993, 2017
  Argideen Rangers 1 1 1994 2022
23   St. Oliver Plunkett's 0 2 2009, 2012
  Innishannon 0 1 1927
Barley Hill 0 1 1935
  Kilmeen 0 1 1987
  Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0 1 2002
  Muintir Bháire 0 1 2007

List of finals edit

Year Winners Score Runners-up Score Venue Winning captain
1926 Kilbrittain 0-04 Clonakilty 1-00 Clonakilty Grounds
1927 Dohenys 0-04 Innishannon 0-02
1928 Bantry Blues 2-02 Dohenys 0-05
1929 Bandon 1-01 Clonakilty 0-03 Innshannon Grounds
1930 Clonakilty 2-05 Dohenys 0-02 Clonakilty Grounds
1931 Dohenys 1-01 Bantry Blues 0-02 Sam Maguire Park
1932 Bantry Blues 1-05 Dohenys 0-01 Rossa Park
1933 Enniskeane 1-05 O'Donovan Rossa 2-01 Rossa Park
1934 Enniskeane 0-02 Darrara 0-01
1935 Dohenys w/o Barley Hill scr
1936 Enniskeane 2-04 Bantry Blues 1-03 Clonakilty Grounds
1937 Carbery Rangers 3-04 Bantry Blues 2-00 Rossa Park
1938 Carbery Rangers w/o Enniskeane scr.
1939 Carbery Rangers 1-05 O'Donovan Rossa 1-01
1940 Carbery Rangers 2-01 Dohenys 0-03 St Mary's Park
1941 Drimoleague 0-05 Bandon 0-01 St Mary's Park
1942 Drimoleague 1-00 Carbery Rangers 0-02 St Mary's Park
1943 Rock Rovers 2-01 Carbery Rangers 0-04 Rossa Park
1944 Bantry Blues 2-04 St. Mary's 0-02 Sam Maguire Park
1945 O'Donovan Rossa 4-07 St. Mary's 3-01 Clonakilty Grounds
1946 Bantry Blues 2-05 Carbery Rangers 1-03
1947 Bandon 3-02 Bantry Blues 0-10 Sam Maguire Park
1948 Clonakilty 1-05 Dohenys 1-02 St Mary's Park
1949 Clonakilty 3-04 Dohenys 1-03
1950 Bandon 2-03 Dohenys 0-01 Clonakilty Grounds
1951 Bandon 1-01 O'Donovan Rossa 1-03 Clonakilty Grounds
1952 Bandon 1-04 O'Donovan Rossa 1-02
1953 Bandon 2-06 Darrara 2-02 Bandon Grounds
1954 Darrara 4-08 O'Donovan Rossa 0-02 Sam Maguire Park
1955 Darrara 1-11 Carbery Rangers 1-03
1956 Dohenys 3-04 Carbery Rangers 1-02 Clonakilty Grounds
1957 Dohenys 2-04 O'Donovan Rossa 0-05 Clonakilty Grounds
1958 Dohenys 7-05 Clann na nGael 0-02 Clonakilty Grounds Michael Farr
1959 Dohenys 2-09 Ballinascarthy 1-02 Clonakilty Grounds
1960 Bandon 2-09 Ballinascarthy 0-05 Sam Maguire Park Denis O'Donovan
1961 O'Donovan Rossa 3-01 Dohenys 1-06 Wolfe Tone Park
1962 Dohenys 2-06 Newcestown 0-04 Bandon Grounds Derry White
1963 O'Donovan Rossa 1-06 Dohenys 1-05 Clonakilty Grounds Pat Laverty
1964 Newcestown 3-04 Bandon 1-01 Clonakilty Grounds Dermot Kehilly
1965 Dohenys 2-09 Newcestown 1-00 Bandon Grounds John Crowley
1966 Dohenys 3-03 Newcestown 2-04 Bandon Grounds D. D. Lyons
1967 Newcestown 0-08 Bantry Blues 0-05 Sam Maguire Park Tim Joe Collins
1968 Bantry Blues 1-12 Ballinascarthy 0-05 Rossa Park Donal Hunt
1969 Bantry Blues 2-07 Ballinascarthy 0-11 Rossa Park Donal Hunt
1970 Bandon 2-09 Bantry Blues 0-03 Clonakilty Grounds Pa Harrington
1971 Bandon 3-10 Bantry Blues 1-14 Sam Maguire Park Jimmy Gabriel
1972 Bantry Blues 3-14 Carbery Rangers 2-03 Sam Maguire Park P. J. Minihane
1973 Castlehaven 0-15 Carbery Rangers 1-10 Rossa Park Morgan Courtney
1974 O'Donovan Rossa 1-11 Clonakilty 1-06 Rosscarbery Grounds Dinny Kelly
1975 Bandon 1-12 Carbery Rangers 0-06 Clonakilty Grounds Robert Wilmot
1976 Castlehaven 1-06 O'Donovan Rossa 1-05 Rosscarbery Grounds Christy Collins
1977 Clonakilty 3-13 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 2-03 Rossa Park Gabriel Quirke
1978 Ballinascarthy 0-09 Carbery Rangers 0-08 Sam Maguire Park Teddy Holland
1979 O'Donovan Rossa 3-11 Gabriel Rangers 1-06 Wolfe Tone Park Pat Hanrahan
1980 Carbery Rangers 0-13 Barryroe 1-06 Clonakilty Grounds Michael Paul Hicks
1981 Clann na nGael 0-06 Newcestown 0-05 Sam Maguire Park Derry Deane
1982 O'Donovan Rossa 0-08 Gabriel Rangers 1-04 Rosscarbery Grounds Finbarr Kearney
1983 Ballinascarthy 1-09 Gabriel Rangers 2-05 Rosscarbery Grounds John O'Donovan
1984 Carbery Rangers 1-08 Clann na nGael 0-05 St. Mary's Finbarr Santry
1985 Bantry Blues 0-10 Ballinascarthy 0-09 Sam Maguire Park John Hutchinson
1986 Bandon 1-07 Ballinascarthy 0-08 St. Mary's Park Niall Crowley
1987 Carbery Rangers 0-14 Kilmeen 0-05 Clonakilty Grounds Michael O'Rourke
1988 Newcestown 5-04 Clann na nGael 2-08 Sam Maguire Park Tim Buckley
1989 Bandon 1-10 Newcestown 1-07 Clonakilty Grounds Niall Crowley
1990 Newcestown 4-05 Dohenys 1-06 Rossmore Grounds Thomas Crowley
1991 Carbery Rangers 1-11 Ballinascarthy 1-05 Sam Maguire Park Kevin Santry
1992 Dohenys 2-10 Carbery Rangers 1-08 Páirc Tadhg na Samhna Barry Herlihy
1993 Dohenys 1-10 Kilbrittain 1-06 Clonakilty Grounds Kieran Farr
1994 Argideen Rangers 0-07 Barryroe 0-05 Kilbrittain Grounds Tadhg Crowley
1995 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 1-13 Carbery Rangers 0-09 Rossa Park Denis O'Sullivan
1996 Ilen Rovers 3-11 Carbery Rangers 0-04 Castlehaven Grounds Fachtna Collins
1997 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 3-10 Ilen Rovers 2-07 Castlehaven Grounds Pat Hegarty
1998 Carbery Rangers 2-06 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-10 Sam Maguire Park Eugene Murphy
1999 Ilen Rovers 1-16 Carbery Rangers 1-14 Aughaville Grounds Pat Connolly
2000 Ilen Rovers 1-15 Carbery Rangers 3-07 Castlehaven Grounds Donal Murphy
2001 Ilen Rovers 0-19 St. Colum's 0-09 Wolfe Tone Park Martin Cronin
2002 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-13 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-11 Rosscarbery Grounds Tadhg Deasy
2003 Carbery Rangers 0-15 Barryroe 0-06 St. Mary's Park Johnny Murphy
2004 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 1-06 O'Donovan Rossa 1-05 Castlehaven Grounds Mike Kingston
2005 O'Donovan Rossa 1-09 Gabriel Rangers 0-08 Rosscarbery Grounds Martin Bohane
2006 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-13 St. Colum's 0-06 Wolfe Tones Park Seán O'Sullivan
2007 Bandon 1-11 Muintir Bháire 0-11 Ballinacarriga Grounds Kevin Walsh
2008 Bandon 1-13 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-11 Sam Maguire Park Kevin Walsh
2009 St. Mary's 1-11 St. Oliver Plunkett's 0-12 Castletown Grounds Stephen Keohane
2010 Gabriel Rangers 1-09 Clann na nGael 0-08 Rossa Park Kieran O'Callaghan
2011 Bandon 2-12 Clann na nGael 1-09 Ahamilla Complex Alan Johnson
2012 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-21 St. Oliver Plunkett's 1-16 Leap Grounds Colm O'Driscoll
2013 St. Colum's 1-09 Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-07 Sam Maguire Park Shane McSweeney
2014 St. Mary's 1-09 Gabriel Rangers 0-11 Aughaville Grounds Jason Collins
2015 Bandon 1-10 Kilmacabea 0-08 Henry Ford Park Pat Prendergast
2016 Gabriel Rangers 2-09 St. Colum's 1-08 Aughaville Grounds Mark Cronin [9]
2017 Kilmacabea 2-08 Kilbrittain 2-04 Ahamilla Complex Clive Sweetnam [10]
2018 Kilmacabea 0-15 Tadhg Mac Carthaigh's 0-10 Páirc Tadhg na Samhna Niall Hayes [11]
2019 St. James' 0-11 Ballinascarthy 0-09 Or Lady's Well Grounds Joe O'Sullivan [12]
2020 Kilmacabea 1-18 Carbery Rangers 0-07 St. James' Park Joe Collins [13]
2021 Tadhg Mac Carthaigh's 2-10 St Mary's 1-08 Sam Maguire Park Brian O'Driscoll [14]
2022 St. James' 0-11 Argideen Rangers 0-05 Páirc Uinsinn Conor Hayes [15]
2023 Barryroe 1-12 Kilmacabea 0-14 Sam Maguire Park David O'Sullivan

Notes:

  • 1926 - The first match ended in a draw.
  • 1935 - The first match ended in a draw: Dohenys 2-01, Barley Hill 2-01.
  • 1938 - The first match ended in a draw: Carbery Rangers 2-02, Enniskeane 2-02.
  • 1943 - The first match ended in a draw: Rock Rovers 1-06, Carbery Rangers 2-03.
  • 1945 - The first match ended in a draw: O'Donovan Rossa 1-04, St Mary's 2-01.
  • 1951 - Bandon won the title after an objection.
  • 1960 - The first match ended in a draw: Bandon 1-05, Ballinascarthy 2-02.
  • 1971 - The first match ended in a draw: Bandon 1-08, Bantry Blues 1-08.
  • 1974 - The first match ended in a draw: O'Donovan Rossa 0-12, Clonakilty 2-06.
  • 1985 - The first match ended in a draw: Bantry Blues 2-08, Ballinascarthy 1-11.
  • 1990 - The first match ended in a draw: Newcestown 1-09, Dohenys 2-06.
  • 1999 - The first match ended in a draw: Ilen Rovers 0-13, Carbery Rangers 1-10.
  • 2013 - The first match ended in a draw: St Colum's 1-05, Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-08.
  • 2014 - The first match ended in a draw: St Mary's 1-08, Gabriel Rangers 0-11.
  • 2018 - The first match ended in a draw: Kilmacabea 0-12, Tadhg Mac Carthaigh's 2-06.
  • 2023 - Extra time was played after the match ended in a draw: Barryroe 1-10, Kilmacabea 0-13.

Records edit

By decade edit

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of West Cork Junior Football Championship titles, is as follows:

Successful defending edit

10 teams of the 21 who have won the championship have successfully defended the title. These are:

Gaps edit

Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles:

The Double edit

Five teams have won the South West Junior Football Championship and the South West Junior Hurling Championship in a single year as part of a Gaelic football-hurling double. Kilbrittain became the first team to win the double in 1926. Bandon are the record holders having claimed the double on four occasions - 1929, 1960, 1971 and 1975. Dohenys are the only club to have won a back-to-back double - 1958 and 1959. Newcestown (1967) and Clonakilty (1977) complete the list of double-winning teams.

Club sides Argideen Rangers, Ballinascarthy and O'Donovan Rossa also hold the distinction of being dual divisional junior championship-winning teams, however, these were not achieved in a single calendar season.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Cork football tributes paid to accident victim Mick McCarthy". Irish Times. 6 February 1998. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  2. ^ "CORK DOUBLE 1990: Remembering football stars John Kerins and Michael McCarthy". Irish Examiner. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Horror crash after U-turn on new dual carriageway". Irish Independent. 1 July 1998. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Pick your best Little Norah Cup team". The Southern Star. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Worth the wait as history of Little Norah is captured". The Southern Star. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Buckley Financial Junior Championships". Carbery GAA website. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Richie O'Sullivan: Winning first South West JAFC is the best feeling ever". The Southern Star. 17 September 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  8. ^ "MASTER PLAN: Road to glory in Carbery laid out". The Southern Star. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Gabriel Rangers crowned South West junior A football champions". The Southern Star. 25 September 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  10. ^ McCarthy, Kieran (10 September 2017). "HISTORY! Kilmacabea crowned South West JAFC champs for the first time". The Southern Star. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  11. ^ Cormican, Eoghan (27 September 2018). "Fines handed to Cork clubs following mass brawl reduced on appeal". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  12. ^ Farr, Derry (22 September 2019). "History makers... St James deliver a West Cork junior football title to deny Ballinscarthy the double". The Echo. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  13. ^ Farr, Derry (4 October 2020). "Kilmacabea capture the Carbery JAFC title for the third time in four years". The Echo. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  14. ^ McCarthy, Ger (4 November 2021). "West Cork junior football joy for Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh". The Echo. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  15. ^ McCarthy, Ger (25 September 2022). "'This is like a dream' - St James seal promotion after convincing West Cork final win". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 September 2022.

External links edit