Sport

Carbery clubs making steady progress as Enniskeane, Barryroe and Kilbree stand out

April 24th, 2026 11:00 AM

By Ger McCarthy

Carbery clubs making steady progress as Enniskeane, Barryroe and Kilbree stand out Image
The Courcey Rovers team produced a battling display before losing to Ballincollig in the Cork Camogie Lillie O'Sullivan County League.

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ENNISKEANE, Barryroe and Kilbree were amongst the Carbery division’s standout performers in the latest round of Cork Camogie County League club fixtures.

Ballinora proved too strong for Newcestown in Division 1 of the county’s top-tier Senior County League. The Carbery club were three points down at the conclusion of an even first half last Monday evening.

Ballinora pulled away in the second half, however, and won 0-12 to 1-2 despite a battling Newcestown effort. Ciara Aherne netted the West Cork club’s solitary goal, with Ciara Burrows adding two points. Best for Newcestown included Burrows, Eimear Dinneen and Aisling O’Donovan.

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Enniskeane have gotten off the mark in Division 1 of the Premier Intermediate County League. Having suffered three consecutive losses, the Carbery club was full value for their draw with Watergrasshill.

A close game finished 3-9 to 1-15, with Daire O’Brien, Maebh O’Brien, Lauren Corcoran and Molly Hilliard amongst Enniskeane’s scorers.

In the same division, Courcey Rovers travelled to Ballincollig and were hoping to maintain their perfect Division 1 record.

A strong Ballincollig lineup built a 1-9 to 0-2 interval lead before holding off a second-half fightback to win 2-17 to 0-11. Despite suffering their first league loss, Courcey had Jacinta Crowley (0-7, 4f), Ann Marie Collins (0-3) and Aine O’Donoghue (0-1) on their scoresheet. Crowley, Edel Moloney, Jess Helbrow and Emma O’Donovan were the pick of the visitors’ best performers.

An injury-hit Clonakilty suffered an Intermediate County League Group A defeat away to an experienced Bishopstown team last Monday evening.

Bishopstown netted three first-half goals and despite an improved Clonakilty second-half display, the hosts ran out convincing winners. Aoife O’Flynn Meade provided all five of the Carbery club’s points.

 

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Barryroe continued their Junior A County League campaign with a road trip to Buttevant last Monday night.

Ellen O’Riordan and Róisín Ní Bhuachalla opened the scoring before Meabh O’Sullivan and O’Riordan goals had the West Cork side in complete control.

Buttevant hit back, however, accruing 1-2 in quick succession, but it was Barryroe who changed ends 2-4 to 1-4 in front.

Ní Bhuachalla, O’Riordan and Seodhna Walsh kept the scoreboard ticking over during an evenly-fought second half. Yet it was Barryroe who emerged with a terrific 2-10 to 1-7 victory. It took a full team effort to get over the line, with Eimear Whelton, Gill McCarthy and Tara Fleming standing out for the winners.

Kilbree are another Carbery club competing in the Junior B grade of this year’s Cork Camogie County League. Having lost narrowly to Laochra Óg and Kilworth, the West Cork side produced a battling performance to defeat Millstreet 3-10 to 1-6 away from home. It was a well-deserved first Junior B County League victory of the season for an improving Kilbree.

Barryroe hosted Ballygarvan in Group A of the Lillie O’Sullivan League under floodlights last Friday evening.

Having staged a terrific second-half comeback to overcome Tracton in their previous outing, the Carbery club continued their impressive run of form.

Sinead Walsh netted an early goal before adding another green flag before the interval. Eabha Ní Bhuachalla also impressed and added two goals of her own prior to Ballygarvan responding with a 1-1 scoring burst. Additional Ní Bhuachalla and Meabh O’Sullivan efforts made it 4-2 to 1-1 in the home side’s favour at the break.

O’Sullivan fired over three unanswered points on the restart before Walsh and Ní Bhuachalla extended Barryroe’s advantage.

Sinead Walsh completed a superb hat-trick in a second period that Barryroe restricted Ballygarvan to a single point. Barryroe emerged 5-15 to 1-2 winners on an evening that saw Louise Coleman, Ellen Foley and Marianne Keohane work tirelessly for the home team.

Elsewhere in the Lillie O’Sullivan League, Douglas hit Courcey Rovers for five goals in a convincing 5-9 to 1-4 victory. Best for the Carbery club included Deirdre O’Reilly, Isabelle Lordan and Emma O’Donovan.

 

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In the Cork Camogie Minor County Leagues, Courcey Rovers proved too strong for Castlemartyr, running out 3-11 to 1-4 winners in Group C of the A grade.

Áine O’Donoghue set the tone by amassing 1-7 of Rovers’ 2-9 to 0-2 interval lead. Having played with the benefit of a strong wind during the opening half, Courcey saw out the second period to win by an impressive 13-point margin.

O’Donoghue finished with 1-9 in the league fixture, while Kate Harrington, Michaela Coholan (1-0 each) and Emma O’Leary (0-2) also contributed.

Bandon travelled to Bride Rovers in Group A of the Minor B County League for a midweek clash. Two first-half goals handed Bride a 2-4 to 0-7 lead at the short whistle.

Creditably, the Lilywhites produced a superb second-half performance, restricting Rovers to three points and going on to win 0-14 to 2-7.

Clodagh Barry had a match to remember, scoring all but one (0-13, 8f) of Bandon’s winning total. Jess Bolster was the visitors' other scorer in a match where Clodagh Barry, Julie Fleming, Breffni Kelly and Ella McCarthy stood out. As a result of topping Group A, the Lilywhites will face Valley Rovers in the upcoming Minor B County League semi-finals. 

Elsewhere, Clonakilty suffered a heavy defeat away to Midleton in Group C of the Premier Minor 2 County League.

 

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On the inter-county scene, Cork experienced a disappointing 1-18 to 2-9 loss and a Munster Camogie Senior Championship exit at the hands of Tipperary.

Semple Stadium was the venue for a quarter-final in which St Colum’s Libby Coppinger started at full-back and Ballinascarthy’s Millie Condon lined out in midfield.

Courcey Rovers’ Saoirse McCarthy, who scored five points, began on the half-forward line and Enniskeane’s Daire O’Brien was on the substitutes' bench.

The Cork U23s were also in action last weekend. 

Having already secured their All-Ireland semi-final berth, manager Jerry Wallace’s side were defeated by Kilkenny 3-13 to 2-9 at St. Lachtain’s GAA Club’s Páirc Lachtaín in Freshford.

Clonakilty’s Amy McCarthy and Kinsale’s Catherine Murphy lined out at midfield for a Cork U23 side in which Enniskeane’s Meabh O’Brien began at corner forward. Clonakilty’s Niamh Kennedy and Kinsale’s Mary Claire Murphy were on the substitutes' bench.

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