Cashel look forward to another big battle with Swan in a high-stakes game

Taking the helm of a GAA club on the fly takes a lot of time, but a labor of love that Cashel King Cormacs’ Seanie O’Donoghue is hugely passionate about.

“It’s a big business now, not just as club chairman but you’re managing everybody,” he says ahead of Sunday’s County Intermediate Hurling Championship final against Carrick Swan at FBD Semple Stadium (1.30).

“From the youth side to the senior side, but we have a lot of very good people at the club who make it work and we are also ambitious.

“We have a senior executive who works very well and is a club that goes places. I was youth president for 10 years and worked my ass off to organize things at the club.

“To see them play at adult level and thrive making a great addition to the team is great.

Cormac Kings feel they have been in the hurling wilderness for too long: “We’ve been down for a long, long time but after the semi-final we’re a game away from where we should be, which is in the hunt for the Dan Breen Cup.

“I’m delighted for the management and players who have put in the hard yards since January and showed real character to win after extra time in the semi-final,” says Cashel chairman Seanie O’Donoghue.

Those sentiments are echoed by team captain James Cummins, who has made a monumental effort to reach the highest level of club hurling in the county.

They’re not there yet, but the players are looking forward to the day, he says. “The last two years we are no strangers to the county quarter-finals and semi-finals and this year we are now after breaking that barrier.

Cashel has put in the hard yards: “We’re after putting up the yards and losing that semifinal last year really pushed us this year to get to the finals,” James says.

After losing last year’s semi-final to Lorrha, this year’s equivalent was a real game with Upperchurch.
It was Cashel who ran out winners after extra-time, with teenager Oisin O’Donoghue scoring two key extra-time goals.

James Cummins says the final whistle was sweet: “I couldn’t put into words what it meant to the boys, especially the older boys.

“The younger guys like Ronan (Connolly) and Oisin (O’Donoghue) are now key to the team and they’re pushing us on.”
Everything comes into play today, and Cashel’s captain says pitching is everything.

“A huge amount of time goes into everything from training to organizing gym sessions between us to feeding and looking after you.

“How you think off the field, train well, it all goes hand in hand I guess as there is no one leg in and one leg out.

“Everybody knows what needs to be done.”

The right-back has soldiered on for a number of years with Cashel and has tasted victory and defeat against the Swans in that time.

“We had great battles with the swans. Look, we’ll see what happens on the day.

“It is an unusual final, since there is a team that we know will not have an easy game, that will not happen.

“The finals are there to win and we are going to move on now, we have to do it for the club.

“Everyone outside of him might think Premier Intermediate is a lower grade than senior, but it’s not that easy to get to the top as it’s been six or seven years since we reached a county final.

“I’ve been playing for Cashel for 11 years and I’ve been in teams that have been promoted and relegated. I’ve seen it from both sides. Now everyone is singing from the same sheet music, so this is our year to win and get back into senior hurling.”