What a weekend it has been for The Courcey Rovers Camogie Team. Hard to believe that this great team of Players and very supportive Management has “done the business”. Bonfires galore were burnt with the jubilation and celebration for this wonderful team in winning the highest grade competition in Cork County. The team formed a cavalcade of cars on Sunday evening from The Arch Deacon Duggan Bridge outside Kinsale where supporters and well wishers lined the cross roads and roads of Courceys Parish including the main villages of Ballinadee and Ballinspittle but firstly with a gathering of the team at Barrells Cross.

Notes of congratulations poured into the Parish all evening Sunday and on into Monday from abroad and from other Counties in Ireland. These were from many people associated with the Club over the years since its formation in 1981.The Official club was formed in 1982.

Team Management and Physical Trainer and Planner Extraordinaire Shirley Moloney presented a lovely Homecoming Evening at The Ballinspittle Church Car Park in Ballinspittle on Monday evening last at 7pm.

Shirley presented each player to the crowd giving the backgrounds of the players. Many were already decorated with County medals if not Senior with Cork but many more with past winning Cork Intermediates and Junior teams as well as underage.

This win is a culmination of many years of Camogie growth in Courceys Parish from a small group of girls getting together in the 1981/1982 years and forming an Official Club in Cork County and entering the Junior B Grade. Winning the various grades up along and a few underage titles the Club grew to win a Senior B in the County in 1999.

While the Club enjoyed seeing some of the more skilful and dedicated players playing with Cork and being very successful with Cork with two most outstanding players in the 90s in Rachel Moloney and Sara Hayes. Many Courcey Rovers players have since played underage and at the various grades of Cork both underage and adult. Courcey Rovers’ youth now has a group of new heroes in our midst. These will form the new leaders of a Club so reflecting of a great local Community.

The Club is delighted to have a backbone of Cork Senior players who worked really well with the Club players of the team. We all look forward to seeing a few more Courcey Rovers players wearing the Cork jersey in years to come.

Everyone of this great panel was given due respect and their individual contribution to this great win in Cork County on the podium on Monday night. Coach Mike Boland spoke glowingly of all the girls and said they did everything that he had asked of then and many tributes have been paid to Mike himself who travelled all the way from Carrigtwohill to coach the team and many thanks were given to the expertise of two other outsiders in Martin Enright ( with coach experience of The Irish Rowing Team and Mark O’ Sullivan (otherwise known as Fanta who provided an extra motivating voice when this was needed in the few last games in the Championship). Kevin Hannon who has been with this team for many years stuck with them and worked tirelessly behind the scenes. Many thanks were issued to Courcey Rovers Sean Duggan who meticulously did the stats and to Nuala O’ Reilly for her medical knowledge and first aid. Shirley thanked Rebecca Crowley for her hard work as Covid Officer.

Just before the final few words were uttered on this great evening Captain Karyn gave great tribute to the work of Shirley Moloney especially on her great work in co-ordinating the individual trainings and virtual get togethers on zoom which was a great motivator for all.

Shirley thanked the Courcey Rovers GAA Club and sponsor of the Team John and Majella Lordan and staff of The Speckled Door and his kind donation of a victory meal on Sunday night. All who have kindly supported the Club in recent times were acknowledged.

The victorious panel will now go on to contest the Munster Camogie semi-final at 2pm on next Sunday in Co. Clare. It remains to be seen whether supporters are allowed given the Covid-19 increase in cases this past few weeks, with Cork on the verge of a level 3 lockdown which would mean only the team would play behind closed doors.

The Club and Parish wishes the Team and Panel and Management all the very best of luck in the Munster Semifinal.

The panel are Sinead O’ Reilly, Orla Twomey, Karyn Keohane(Captain), Grainne Hannon, Ciara Hayes, Ashling Moloney, Edel Moloney, Jacinta Crowley, Elaine O’ Reilly, Eimear O’ Reilly, Fiona Keating, Lorraine Collins, Linda Collins, Christine O’ Neill, Saoirse Mc Carthy, Emily O’ Regan, Deirdre O’ Reilly, Anna Hannon, Isabelle Lordan, Grace O’ Reilly, Anne Marie Collins, Roisín Nolan, Roisín Gallagher, Alanna Corcoran, Lara Helbrow, Lucy Crowley, Ava O’ Donovan, Caitriona O’ Reilly, Ellen Maguire, Caoimhe Hannon.

Great Management: Mike Boland, Shirley Moloney, Kevin Hannon, Joey Gallagher, Martin Enright, Mark O’ Sullivan, Nuala O’ Reilly, Rebecca Crowley and Sean Duggan.

History has been written already on this great Club but this last weekend a new history has been written for the future generations of Courcey Rovers Camogie and Ladies Football Club and how, they brought this team from the Courceys Parish into Centre Stage in Cork Camogie. Hip hip hooray!