Cork schools ready for Harty Cup crackers, weather permitting
Brian Bourke of Blackwater Community School Lismore, keeps possession under pressure from Gaelcoláiste Mhuire AG's Lucas Hurley and Sean Daly, during their Harty Cup clash at Castlelyons. Picture: David Keane.
Whether the weather permits or prohibits Harty Cup hurling next Monday, an intriguing last-eight battle awaits.
With three Cork schools, two from Tipperary, and one Clare, Limerick, and Waterford representative remaining, it promises a wide-open race for glory.
Recent history teaches us not to underestimate the underdog as the last three years produced first-time winners. The most fairy-tale of successes went to St Joseph’s, Tulla, and Cashel CS, two teams who hadn’t even been playing Harty hurling only two years prior to lifting the famous trophy.
The even nature of the quarter-final draw makes it impossible to rule out any team. The split of Cork teams means the county could yield three semi-finalists or none at all.
CBC face Waterford’s De La Salle College, Midleton CBS meet St Flannan’s College from Clare, and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG play 2023 champions Cashel.
The other quarter-final is a stand-out meeting between Ardscoil Rís and Thurles CBS, who contested the corresponding Dean Ryan Cup final two years ago, won by the Limerick school.
The form of Thurles’s opening draw with Flannan’s certainly holds up to scrutiny. Thurles went on to defeat local rivals Our Lady’s by 15 points, while Ardscoil beat the Templemore school by eight.
On the other side, Flannan’s beat John The Baptist by four points, while CBC held onto a two-point win over the Hospital school.
All four will consider themselves realistic title contenders.
Meanwhile, Midleton CBS drew their opener with reigning champions Nenagh CBS, who went on to be knocked out by three points against De La Salle. That form line looks even stronger considering the Waterford school had earlier put 15 points on Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG.
Regardless, the North Mon institution will consider themselves in with an even shout to make the final four against Cashel.
The AG beat Blackwater CS by three points, while Cashel defeated the Lismore side by eight a week previous. Such form lines can be equally misleading given the unpredictable nature of schools’ hurling.
Those breakthrough winners Cashel and Tulla both lost a game early in their victorious campaigns but reversed those results against the same opponents in the semi-finals.
If knockout experience still counts for anything, it’s noteworthy that five of the surviving teams also made it past Christmas last year.
Ardscoil went all the way to the final, only to be pipped by a last-gasp Nenagh goal. They have retained seven players who featured on the big day, including three starters, and their nine-goal blast against Coláiste Choilm was the biggest statement laid down in the group stage.
Thurles, who they beat by the minimum in last year’s semi-finals, will be hell-bent on revenge.
Charleville CBS were the last Cork school standing in 2024. Of the remaining trio, each have their claims for glory.
Midleton showed all the right characteristics in chasing down Nenagh for a draw and major firepower to stack up six goals in the final quarter against St Francis College, Rochestown. That win was achieved despite striking 22 wides and the absence of top-scorer and Cork U20 Barry Walsh.
His cousin Ben and Cork minors Colm Garde and Adam Lee are key players on a team backboned by six players who helped Midleton U21s to a county title last month.
Record winners Flannan’s are similarly littered with inter-county prospects but Midleton will hope to mirror John The Baptist’s example to limit the Ennis school’s scoring prowess.
Like Midleton, CBC will aim to exploit their extra rest having byed the preliminary quarter-final stage. Led by goalkeeper Keith Flood and Denis Riordan, they refused to concede a goal in their three group games. Eoghan O’Shea and Michael Brosnan provide sufficient attacking bite to trouble any team.
De La Salle eliminated reigning champions Nenagh last time out to cap a free-scoring group stage but in knockout hurling, Christians can aspire to contain their leading shooters.
The AG had to recover from that early loss to the Déise students but they have every chance to make the final four if they can crack a stingy Cashel side.
Having ground out narrow wins over St Colman’s and Blackwater, the latter after a nine-point comeback and extra-time, they possess a real sense of momentum approaching their first Harty quarter-final since 2018.
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