1926 History
In 1925 the West Cork Committee, which had been running GAA affairs, on and off, in West Cork since the early years of 20th century, was almost non-functional. The officers of the Committee in 1925 were – Chairperson, J. McCarthy, Kilmichael; vice-chairperson, P.J. Cullinane, Skibbereen; rúnaí, Dan O’Donovan, Clonakilty; treasurer, C. Walsh, Bantry.
When no meeting or games were held by the Committee by July, five clubs which had been participating in the South Cork Hurling League, i.e. Bandon, Kilbrittain, Innishannon, Kinsale and Knockavilla, decided to apply to the County Board to set up a new separate Board to be called “The South Cork Board.” At that time other divisional boards were being set up around the county and permission was granted to the five clubs. Thus the South Cork Board came into existence. Unfortunately, there are no written records available of the original meetings to set up the new Board.
The officers of the new Board for 1925 were – Chairman, Seán Forde, Knockavilla; vice-chairman, Dan O’Hea, Kilbrittain; secretary, Seán Murphy, Innishannon; treasurer, John Joe Phelan, Bandon.
No accounts of the games played in the South Cork championships in 1925 are available but Bandon won the first South Cork junior football championship. They beat Youghal in the county semi-final on March 21st, 1926, in Riverstick by 2-2 to 0-1 and advanced to the county final against Commons Road, a city club, in the Kinsale Athletic Grounds on April 4th, 1926. Despite having no field to practise in, Bandon fought hard against a better-trained city side to earn a draw, 2-1 each. Best for Bandon were Phelan, Donoghue and T. Horgan.
The replay took place a fortnight later, April 18th, in the Cork Athletic Grounds on an historic day for Cork GAA as Cork hurlers played Kilkenny for the first time ever in the newly set-up national hurling league. Cork beat Kilkenny and went on to win the league. The junior football final replay followed the hurling game. Bandon emerged winners of the replay by 0-2 to 0-1 to become the first-ever county champions from the new South Cork Division.
Bandon – John Joe Phelan, – Murphy, – Geaney, J. Horgan, L. O’Donoghue, P. O’Driscoll, E. Murphy, J. O’Connell, J. Lynch, Seán O’Daly, J. O’Connor, W. O’Neill, Seán Murphy, Seán McDonnell, Donal Lynch.
The first South Cork junior hurling final between Kilbrittain and Innishannon was played in the Kinsale Athletic Grounds on August 16th. Kilbrittain won this first final by 3-1 to 2-1 but later lost a ferocious county semi-final to Midleton in the Cork Athletic Grounds on February 21st, 1926, by 5-2 to nil.
Kilbrittain – J. Barrett (capt..), E. Barrett, J. Barrett, David O’Hea, E. O’Hea, Daniel O’Hea, C. Crowley, P. Roche, J. Roche, J. Ahern, T. Holmes, J. O’Brien, P. Donoghue, M. Sullivan, C. Harrington.
In the meantime, the old West Cork Committee had organised their championships in the second half of 1925. In the junior football final, Bantry beat Kilmichael but were beaten in the county championship by Commons Road.
Clonakilty won the junior hurling final, beating Skibbereen by 7-2 to 1-0 on September 6th in Rosscarbery, but were beaten by Midleton in the county championship.
