City Division Junior A Hurling runners up 1974

Runners up to Delaneys in the Junior A Championship.

Match Report

Excerpt from The Cork Examiner Monday 26/08/1974

Fourth time lucky for Delaneys

Delaneys 2-13, Rochestown 4-4

After three attempts in 1958, 1971 and 1972, Delanys finally managed to take the city junior hurling title in Ballinlough yesterday. Rochestown, who came into this final as the underdogs, have only themselves to blame for not capitalising on numerous chances and they were 0-2 to 1-8 down at half time.

Rochestown’s first goal came when Vincent McCarthy placed the ball neatly in the corner. That made it 2-11 to 1-2 for Delanys, who had a Roy Barry goal within seconds of the restart. Man of the match for them, Pat O’ Sullivan,added a further two quick points. But less than eight minutes after, an infringement on a Rochestown player gave them a real opportunity to open up the game and Murphy’s goal from the free made it 2-11 to 2-2.

A Delaneys point was followed again by a Rochestown goal, this time by Tom Collins who burst his way through from the 21. Murphy made it 2-12 to 3-3, when with seven minutes remaining, Collins was back again to goal for a second time in a similar move. Rochestown pressed hard and three times with a little luck, they night have goaled. The sides exchanged points with two minutes to go to leave the score at 2-13 to 4-4,

Scorers for Delaneys —N. Collins ( 1-0), R. Barry (1-0), P. O’Sullivan (0-8), E. Murphy ()-3), N. O’Flaherty and E. ©’Brien (0-1 each)

Scorers for Rochestown — T. Collins (2-0), W. Murphy (1-3), V. McCarthy (1-0), and D. McCarthy (0-1)

DELANY S: F. Kiely, D. Crowley, D. Kiely, D. Collins, N. O’Flaherty, D. Quinlan, G. Mitchell, E. Murphy, P. O’Connell, J. Barry, E. O’Brien, N. Collins, R. Barry, P. O’Sullivan and S. Healy.

ROCHESTOWN: s. Murphy, T. Mehigan, M. O’Donovan, T. De Pus, T. Fahy, W.J. Carroll, T. Collins, W. Murphy, D. McCarthy, M. Murphy, D. Murphy, V. McCarthy, C. Lombard, Tom Mehigan and J. Holland

Match Preview

Published in the Evening Echo Saturday 24/08/ 1974

Appropriate Time For Dan Hyde Cup

Rochestown or Delanys, whose home will adorn the Junior Hurling Championship Cup after tomorrow’s final? And what an appropriate time for the first presentation of the Dan Hyde Cup. A new cup for new champions.

Dan Hyde gave great service to the games in the city. He played with Blackrock, but spent the greater part of his career playing with Lough Rovers.

He also played and starred with the divisional selection, Sean-dun. He was an able hurler and a fine sportsman, The game meant so much to him and to his family that they thought it suitable to give a magnificent cup to the division to preserve his memory. His widow, Mrs. Hyde, will present the cup to tomorrow’s winners.

Even if there was not a new trophy, the final would be attractive in its
own right. Strictly junior clubs are delighted to see two of their own in action.

Even the senior clubs do not begrudge the occasion to the juniors. While the
Juniors of the big clubs try as hard as anybody else to win, and while the club name may draw the crowds, these clubs generally have their hours of glory in other grades, senior, minor or under- 21. Remember that after almost 50 years, the division is still known as “The Junior Board”. With the greatest respect and admiration for the larger clubs, I think it would have pleased Dan Hyde to know that tomorrows hero’s will be battling, one for the honour of the little village and the other for a place in the sun, away from the shadow of its senior neighbours.

Preparation on both sides has been intensive and there is tremendous interest in both localities, and indeed amongst the game’s followers as a whole.

Delanys have a slight edge in public opinion. Is this because of their three
previous final appearances, with tremendous improvement with each one?

But the knowing ones point to Rochestown’s spirit and their reluctance to yield, even when the odds are against them. They had their finest hour in the replay with Douglas, when they wiped out a half time lead, to which a goal had been quickly added, and they won as they liked.

The confidence they gained was apparent against the ‘Barrs in the semi
final. Delanys were impressive in scoring 21 points against the champions,
Blackrock and in the game against Bishopstown, last year’s finalists. Centre
field will decide the game. Will Pat O’Connell be employed by Delanys to
negative the threat by Weeshie Murphy? He seems the most likely choice for this task. If he is not successful, Rochestown will get a fine supply of the ball in the attack. If he is, how will the village fare without Weeshie to lay on the chances, besides getting a half dozen scores as well? Is Delanys half back line strong enough without O’ Connell? Will Pat O’ Sullivan be full forward again with the Dublin Hill club? Will the strong old-fashioned hurling of the Rochestown defense be too much of an obstacle

When I say old fashioned, I mean they realise that the ball must be cleared out of danger and that ground striking is often the surest way.

The backs understand the fundamentals of the game and this is. Hurling is in most of their bloods and a characteristic of the team as a whole and occasion like this does not come very day.

Rochestown have the moral advantage of a league win over Delanys in Kilbarry. True, the latter had a poor campaign early in the league, but were coming to their peak at the time. Each match is a new contest and one hop of the ball can decide the outcome. And it might. Both have the same strong points and large stars, and both clubs are dedicated. | expect some fine goalkeeping from Sean Murphy of Rochestown and Finbarr Kiely. Mick Donavan’s tussle with Pat O’Sullivan will be important, but I wonder will the village halfbacks, Tom Fahy, Willie Joe Carroll and bearded Tom Collins be too strong for Owen McCarthy, Jim Barry and Sean Healy. Donal O’ Mahony has been training and may make a return to Delanys team.

The B grade final is the curtain raiser and looks good enough to stand on its own feet. Fr. O’Callaghans are trying very hard to make a strong club in their area where there is an abundance of youthful talent. Success could help them, but Ballinure will not give ground easily. This is their fourth in a row B final and they hope for a win at last. St. Finbarrs, Redmonds and Douglas beat them over the past here years, and Ballinure are not getting younger. There is a good depth of hurling in them and they start slight favourites. Against Collins, Fr, O’Callaghan’s impressed me as likely finalists. Having come so far they would not give in easily.

All in all, it looks an attractive afternoon’s sport, with the Cork City Pipe Band to add to the spectacle and to the enjoyment. The admission charge for this fine bill is 25p with two gates in operation. Entrance can be obtained from the main Ballinlough Road as well as from Hettyfield Lane. For bus travellers, there will be a special service from the Statue from 2.30pm. Delany’s supporters will have transport from the grotto from 3 o’clock.

The regular Blackrock (alight Crab lane); Well Road (alight South Lodge); Douglas (alight Johnson and Perrotts) and the Ballinlough services will also convey patrons.