The Bantry Blues GAA Club

Bantry have tough task, says Neenan, who sings Nemo praises

By Brendan Larkin of the Irish Examiner

“WHICHEVER teams beats Nemo Rangers this year will go a long way in the Club Championship,” said Brian Neenan, and he should know.


Coach to Austin Stacks, to play Dr Crokes in the Kerry county SFC semi-final next Sunday, Neenan pitted his charges against the Cork champions in a challenge game recently and was on the wrong end of a seven-point defeat. Assessing Nemo ahead of Sunday’s Cork county SFC final against Bantry Blues, Neenan said they were the complete article. “This was the first time we ever played them in a challenge game and I must say they were the most evenly balanced side I’ve seen in years. “Without question, they were physically the hardest team we’ve ever played against, and unless Bantry have something exceptional, Nemo must be firm favourites to retain their title on Sunday.

“They more or less cleaned us out in the first half, at the end of which they led by 10 points, but our lads recovered well on the changeover, and with a couple of minutes to go the deficit was down to four points, before they finished well. “Overall, it was a great game for us to get ahead of our own semi-final, but on the evidence of their first-half display, you would have to fancy Nemo to beat Bantry.”

With the inter-county season all but finished, attention turns to the domestic scene in most counties in the coming weeks. In Cork, TSB county SFC final is down for decision next Sunday, and with both Bantry and Nemo Rangers reporting no injuries, it’s a final that is eagerly awaited between two club sides, who have seen a lot of each other in recent years, although it’s been exactly 20 years since they last met in the decider. Both teams have their share of current and former inter-county players, and if there is any final likely to give newly-appointed coach Larry Tompkins and football in the county a lift, this is it. Nemo will need no reminding of just how close they came to going out of last year’s championship to the Blues down in Dunmanway.

“We were extremely fortunate to earn a draw that day,” said Nemo coach Billy Morgan. “In truth, Bantry threw that game away rather than we getting the draw.” Bantry looked every inch winners when they led by five points late in the game, but in typical Nemo fashion, the city side refused to give up the chase and at the final whistle had survived to live another day which they took full advantage of.Since then they have lost the services of inter-county forward Joe Kavanagh, who is resting up in the hope that a back injury which has plagued him all season will clear up. He’ll be a loss, but Nemo have survived this far without him, and have enough talent within their ranks to fill the vacancy.

Niall Corkery has slotted into the team with consummate ease, while John Paul O’Neill and Dylan Mehigan are others who have come in and done extremely well. Indeed, when Morgan and his fellow selectors sit down to pick their team for Sunday, they won’t find it easy to name the starting 15 such is the glut of talent they have at their disposal. Bantry are not as richly endowed with talent as their opponents, but what they lack in that area is more than made up for with a marvellous brand of football and incredible commitment, commitment that has pulled them out of a couple of very tight corners during this year’s campaign.

Clyda called Bantry’s credentials into question in a big way and the West Cork side responded in style, producing a marvellous display before emerging winners by a point in a classic contest. It was a costly match for the Blues, however, in that centre-back Andy O’Shea broke his leg in two places in an accidental challenge, but like Nemo and Joe Kavanagh, they have managed to minimise his loss with the return of Padraic O’Regan after injury. Former inter-county full-back Mark O’Connor, who missed the Clyda game because of injury, returned for the win over Na Piarsaigh and did well, while Jeremy Canty who placed in that semi-final with a badly injured hand, showed no ill-effects, and both should be in the starting line-up on Sunday. Surprisingly, their own divisional side Carbery who lost last year’s final to Nemo, proved no match for the Blues in the semi-final.

Another plus for Bantry is the return of Michael Moran from the States. There was some question of his eligibility because he had spent so much time in the USA, but that has been cleared up and he will be a huge addition to the squad. Damien O’Neill continues to be key player for Bantry and will have a huge say in the destination of the title on Sunday, while Philip Clifford has put behind him a rather indifferent spell, particularly at inter-county level, and his clash with Nemo full back Niall Geary should be one of many highlights.

There are other duals throughout the field that should be worth seeing. Mark O’Connor on Colin Corkery, the midfield tussle between Nemo’s Derek Kavanagh and Kevin Cahill, Graham Canty and Damien O’Neill (Bantry), and Larry Kavanagh on Jeremy Canty all combine to make this final potentially, one of the most exciting in years, and should give Larry Tompkins and his new selection committee plenty of food for thought when they sit down and plan for next year’s inter-county campaign.

PATHS TO THE FINAL Bantry Blues 4-14, Avondhu 0-12 Bantry Blues 2-10, Aghada 0-12 Bantry Blues 1-13, Clyda Rvs 0-15 Bantry Blues 3-11, Na Piarsaigh 2-9 Bantry Blues 1-12, Carbery 0-7 Nemo Rgs 2-14, Clonakilty 0-5 Nemo Rgs 1-14, Ballincollig 0-12 Nemo Rgs 2-8, Dohenys 1-8 Nemo Rgs 0-18, St Finbarr’s 0-11