The St. Colman's College panel that won the Dean Ryan Cup.
By Damian Lawlor
By the end of October, St Colman’s College Fermoy claimed their 13th Dean Ryan Cup and this Saturday they face Presentation College Athenry as both sides fight for a place in the Masita GAA Post Primary Niall McInerney Cup final.
The Cork side have earned this season’s success the hard way. They edged out Árdscoil Rís by a point in the Dean Ryan final but before also withstood tough tests from Hamilton HS, De La Salle College and Midleton CS in that Munster Under 16.5 series.
As expected, the Dean Ryan final went all the way to the wire, but a point from Clyda Rovers’ Ben Nyhan two minutes from time eventually decided the outcome after the teams were tied five times overall.
The impressive Nyhan has stood out for the last couple of seasons at underage but the Fermoy nursery has a healthy batch of young hurlers currently studying there.
Indeed, such is the interest in hurling at the school that the team management have been working off a panel of 50 players.
Managing so many players is a tough task in any sport, but joint manager Mossie Barry say it’s a sign of all the great work local clubs are doing, a sign that the game is strong in the school, and it’s a situation they relish.
“We have great numbers looking to play hurling, in general, and we have a large number of players on both Under 16 and minor cork panels such as Adam Walsh, Ben Nyhan, Cillian Tobin, Brendan Lehane, Ben Nodwell,” says co-manager Barry, who looks after the team along with Anthony Spillane from Castlelyons.
“Ben Nodwell is our captain and comes from the Sarfields Club in Riverstown, Glanmire.
“And we have a great bunch working with him. That training panel of 50 means that lads want to play and their clubs and families all have great interest in the school as a result. There is huge interest in Cork GAA, in general, and we have been how impressed with how the lads are so focused on getting their conditioning right, their diet right, and working so hard to prevent injury.
“Things are done right by those lads and it’s a pleasure to see the work going on in the county at the moment at underage.
“A lot of emphasis has been placed on Cork underage teams over the past few years especially and the Rebel Og academy is doing some great work. We are glad to play our part too. From September to May it is our responsibility as a school to help these lads continue to develop academically and as sportspeople too.”
St. Colman's, Fermoy players and supporters celebrate after winning the Dean Ryan Cup.
To cope with such numbers, the joint-managers split training into two groups of 25 to ensure every player gets decent and sufficient time on the ball – time to work on the skills of the game.
“We play a lot of challenge matches too,” Barry says.
“Lads get their chance that way and they get game time. We played St Kieran’s and Good Counsel lately and then we train together as an overall unit – albeit split into two groups to focus on the skills.”
Local clubs have played their part in providing youngsters for the school team. Five players represent Bride Rovers, and there is further representation from Watergrasshill, Kilworth, Ballyhooley, St Catherine’s, Clyda Rovers, Fermoy and Sarsfields. The buy-in has been super.
The school has just over 500 students and while Barry points out that, while they are very academically minded, the lure of hurling is strong too.
“It’s our number one sport here for sure,” he says.
“We don’t have a certain style of hurling but we do believe that hard work trumps talent and so we focus on using that work ethic every day we go out and improving on it from the previous day.
“That is what will be needed if we are to beat Presentation College (Saturday, Doora-Barefield, 1pm). We know how good they are, and we know the level they are at.”
This is the last year of the All-Ireland Series at Junior Level, due to the recommendations of the GAA’s Talent Academy & Player Development Review.
Like many others, Barry hopes that decision will be changed again some day and that an All-Ireland series will be staged again in the future.
“Ah, this is a great competition,” he says.
“Lads are under 16 and a half and they get the chance to see what is going on with guys their own age all over Ireland.
“They are exposed to different styles and methods and it’s such a positive thing.
“Look at the interest levels here alone, so it would be great if the All-Ireland series came back in the very near future.
“But right now, we have a chance to be in contention for what is being deemed as the last final at this level.
“It will be tough but we have prepared well and we just have to see what awaits.”
