Bride Rovers Notes (6th Nov)
- Nov 06,2025
COUNTY CHAMPIONS
Maybe ‘twas third time lucky or winning at the third attempt -one way or another Bride Rovers are County Champions at last! Back in April 1970 Showband Singer Dermot Hegarty had a No 1 Hit with the song ’21 Years’, the last line is ‘For Twenty One Years Is a Might Long Time’ -yes it surely is and twenty two years is even longer! Since 2003 we in Bride Rovers have waited and waited, hoped, played and tried to win an elusive Cork GAA County Championship Title. Yes we have been lucky to have captured Cork Titles at under 18, 19, 20 and under 21 but the wait for an adult title just went on and on. All that frustration and heartbreak ended in Pairc Ui Chaoimh last Saturday afternoon. Exactly 141 years ago, on November the 1st 1884, a small group of men met in Thurles and founded the GAA. What a very special day to win a County! To be honest it’s hard to describe in words the raw emotion, pride and joy that was ours at last on Saturday. Even now, a few days later, just saying “Bride Rovers, Cork Senior Hurling Championship Winners for 2025” is just amazing. What an occasion it was -in truth what a month it has been. Since Saturday October the 4th, when we beat Carrigtwohill in the semi-final, we’ve been on a roller-coaster of a journey. A postponement, a draw and now a sweet victory has meant October has ebbed away into November and now we are County Champions for the first time since 2003. The week after the drawn Final was a strange one. The previous two weeks had seen massive hype along the Bride Valley. Then after the 0 14 apiece drawn game some ‘experts’ and ‘commentators’ and ‘sound hurling men’ were whispering that we had ‘missed the boat’, ‘left it after us’ and we ‘wouldn’t get a second chance’. In truth twice in the drawn game we led by 7 points and then had a four point led in the ‘home stretch’ but when Castlelyons drew level for the first time in the last minute of normal time we could have panicked -but we didn’t. With a Bank Holiday Monday the lads met in Pynes on the Monday morning and had a ‘rub down’ on Wednesday night. They were in mighty form in Pynes on last Thursday night. So on once more to Pairc Ui Chaoimh- many people had left early for the ‘first’ (postponed ) game so it was case on the road to Cork for the third Saturday in a row. We had a 3.30 start this time with Mark Maher of St Finbarrs (son of Cork hurler Tony) as referee. WE lined out with Cian at No 1 fronted by Jamie Peters, Eoin Roche and Denis Cashman and Conor H, Cillian T and Shane OConnor in the half-back line. Josh Ahern and Davy Barry were at midfield. Our half line was Conleith, Paddy and Adam Walsh and inside we had Kieran Kearney, Brian Roche and Cormac O Sullivan. Incidentally when we won our first ever East Cork Junior title in 1930 John Kearney, great, grandfather of Kieran, was on the team. Nervous anticipation was the predominant emotion as the sliotar was thrown in. Like the previous Saturday we started mightily. In the first ten minutes we had nine shots at goal but two thirds were waved wide. An early point from Davy Barry settled us nicely. Though playing against a stiffish breeze our defence was coping well under Jack Barry’s long puckouts. Cillian Tobin was a defensive sweeper and doing very well. Castlelyons and ourselves shared a dozen wides early on. Two nice points from Adam (free) and Comac gave us a handy three-point lead after fourteen minutes. Castlelyons raised their first white flag in the fifteenth minute. Gradually they grew into the game and the points began. They added a further 8 in the second quarter while our scoring dried up -we just had two more white flags from Adam(free) and Brian Roche in the 22nd minute. Brians point made it 5 each but Castlelyons added for in a row to go in leading by 9 points to 5. Last week we had the wind and led by just three at the break -now the roles were reversed and we were just four adrift after playing against the breeze. Everyone knows the wind on it’s own never won a game so it was all to play for. The third quarter was even as Adam hit two one from play and one placed ball, 0 10 to 0 7. Our backs seemed to be tighter on their men as the game progressed. Shane O Connor threw over a great point 0 10 to 0 8. Then Adam caught a great ball and lashed to the net- we were back in front as the Rover fans were in full voice now 1 8 to 0 11. Castlelyons levelled before Adam put us a point up. Now the game was really in the melting pot as both teams went at it hammer and tongs -but inn a very sporting manner. Then the game changed and we seemed in trouble. Two Castlelyons goals in five minutes changed the County Final hugely and the momentum was now firmly with Castlelyons. Paddy Flynn rose a white flag to give us some hope. Kearney hit one for the men in Black and we were six points down 2 14 to 1 11- looking at the clock it said just seven minutes left. At this point in the drawn game we were four up so now we were facing the full power of the opposition. Back in 1930 Billy Barry wrote ‘when hot grew that fight those hearts grew more eager’, well lads down the years we often saw great Rover’s fightbacks but what happened in hose last few minutes last Saturday will never be forgotten. Jason Mannix came on to steady the ship. We probably could have had two points but went for goals. Brian Roche was pulled down and Adam pointed. From the far sideline Paddy O Flynn crossed the sliotar towards the square and in a flash or split-second it was in the back of the net. We were back in business but still a point down as the clock ticked down. Four extra minutes signalled so we had two hundred and forty seconds to do or die. Castlelyons attacked but Denis Cashmn got possession , sent to Cian and Cian passed it out to Cillian Tobin. He opened his shoulders and sent the sliotar downfield where it sailed over the bar -we were level, unbelievable stuff! Still time left and we had to defend once more and again Cillian launched the sliotar down between two Castlelyons back and Davy Barry. Davy gathered the ball, swivelled to make room and then sent that beautiful, gorgeous yellow sliotar sailing between the posts and we were a point ahead. Up goes the sliotar to the corner where we got a sideline, seconds to go now, Cillian sent it along the line where a crowd of players were on top of it. Mark Maher threw it in , we cleared, Paddy O Flynn got it down in the corner but it squirmed over the line. Castlelyons took it and then we heard that sound we hadn’t heard since the last Sunday of October 2003, the final whistle and Bride Rovers County Champions! We hear of fairytales and dreams coming true and last Saturday night was such an occasion. Since the Cork Championships were revamped a few years back we were in the Senior A Grade. For four years in a row we were defeated in the semi final -we all know what happened in 2023. Then in the Spring of 2024 as our lads headed off for a day out they were all so lucky to escape unscathed after an accident. All these things helped forge that bond, that spirit we have seen all this year and especially over the last few weeks. On September the 6th as we left Ballynoe maybe some doubted the lads but they knuckled down again and the result was to be seen last Saturday evening. WE had 32 players togged out and each and every one of them deserve credit. What can e say about Brian Murphy and Stephen Glasgow? With the help of Alan, Frank, Stephen, Barry, Devon, Darren, Catherine, Declan Kielty, Fergus, Jason, Gearoid and Adam they guided and moulded this team to win the County.
Cork Senior A Hurling Winners, 2025; C Hogan; D Cashman, E Roche, C Tobin; J Ahern, C Hazelwood, S O’Connor; J Peters, C O’Sullivan; P O’Flynn, B Roche, A Walsh; K Kearney, C Ryan, D Barry.
Subs; R O’Connell for Kearney (40), J Mannix for O’Sullivan (54).
Scorers; A Walsh 1-7 (0-6 f), P O’Flynn 1-1, D Barry 0-2, J Peters, C Tobin, S O’Connor, B Roche, C O’Sullivan. Thanks to Castlelyons for two wonderful sporting games. The outpouring of emotion and joy after the game was amazing- all the years of ‘near misses’ were forgotten and eventually Co Vice Chairman Noel O Callaghan presented the Cup to Cian and Conleith. Conleith gave a superb speech in which he covered every aspect of a famous win. Then we had ‘Bride Rovers forever, Bride Rovers Abu’ In fairness to the Stadium Stewards they left the fans on the field for ages to savour a special occasion. It started to rain and we were singing in the rain! Back to Rathcormac then and after Mass for a victory gathering. A massive crowd gathered in the Old School Yard as the team paraded from the Hall. Club Chairman Pa O Driscoll was MC. He did a brilliant job introducing players and management. Fireworks, tears of joy and more songs. It was a match we’ll never forget, an occasion for the history books to be written in the future. Christmas wont be long coming now!
CLUB LOTTO.
Lotto Result: 28th of October - Numbers drawn 13, 16, 20, 28
No Winner. Congrats to our lucky dip €30 cash winners Margot Fitzgerald, Rathcormac Larry O’Connor, Watergrasshill Michael Collins, Coolnakilla J&T Hill, c/o Spar and Eileen Barry, Knocknaboula
THis week's jackpot on Tues Nov 4th was an incredible €17,400. If your ticket has expired we would appreciate if you would enter again via Bride Rovers GAA Lotto
UNDER 10 HURLING.
U10 hurlers in November action in Caherlag. Ahead of the County Senior A hurling final on Saturday our U10 boys played a hurling blitz against Erin’s Own in Caherlag that morning. Some great skill and heart was shown throughout by our two teams on the day. This was our last blitz of the season and the players and parents are to be commended for their commitment to a great season. Our day rounded off by watching our senior team performing in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and bringing back the cup. Well done to all concerned.
HOME & AWAY. For so many of our Bride Rovers ‘exiles’ last Saturday was a day of mixed emotions. They would have loved to be with us but thankfully through modern technology most were able to see or hear the game. Fr Seanie Barry and Fr Fachtna in Africa, DJ Cahill, Shane Walsh, Shane and Garry Murphy, Donal Lehane in Australia, John Fitzgerald in England -so many other ‘Rovers’ all over the world. To all those who played with the Rovers down the years and now gone from our midst- ye made this Club what it is. Last Saturday, November the 1st was the anniversary of the death of one of our great players, Tony O Brien, who died in 2001.
FIXTURES Sat Nov 8th u 21 A Hurling v Erins Own in Castlelyons at 2 o clock
Sunday November 9th under 21 C Hurling v Castlelyons in Lisgoold at 11o clock.
THANKS. Sincere thanks to all who helped in any way over recent weeks and to all those from far and near that have been on to us with lovely messages since last Saturday.
SPONSORS. The Bride Rovers GAA Club sponsors are Fermoy Print & Design, Rathcormac Tyres, Gerard Gubbins Construction and Veoila -please support our sponsors whenever you can.
