CORK LGFA’s decision to join the new All-Ireland U20 Championship was a ‘no-brainer’, insists manager Denis Mulvihill.

The Rebels are one of 11 counties that will compete in this new competition that gets underway next month.

Drawn in a group with Dublin, Meath, Galway and Mayo, Cork will battle it out in a round-robin group stage, with the winner progressing to face the Ulster champions. Cavan, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone will contest their provincial competition.

‘For quite a while there hasn’t really been a proper bridge from minor to senior, and it’s very hard to make that jump,’ Mulvihill told The Southern Star.

‘You might get one or two exceptional girls who can step straight from U18 into a senior panel, but the difference is huge.

‘So there was a call at inter-county level to put something in between.

‘It was tried about ten years ago at U21 and it didn’t work – counties didn’t buy into it. But Croke Park wanted to run a pilot scheme this year, and Cork were the only county from Munster to put its hand up.’

Kinsale footballer Caoimhe Horgan.

Cork’s decision to step forward is aimed at helping young players transition to senior inter-county football.

‘It’s a no-brainer for us. We’ve always had strong numbers at underage – U16A, U16B, minor, multiple U14 teams – and while other counties are improving, it hasn’t always been as easy for them,’ Mulvihill said.

‘For us, we’ve had two years of minor panels recently, and only a handful of those players are involved at senior level. You’re talking 50-plus players not involved in inter-county football, so this keeps them in the system.

‘That’s crucial, because once players stop, especially girls, they can drift away – travelling or moving on – and they don’t always come back.’

As with any new competition in its infancy, there will be teething problems, but the first step is to get it up and running.

‘We’re limited to a two-year age band – players born in 2006 and 2007 – so it’s a small window, and it brings its own challenges. One of those years is exam year, and the competition was only confirmed about seven weeks ago, so it’s been a rush to get going,’ Mulvihill said.

‘The timing is an issue. A lot of players are in exam year, and the competition runs close to exams. That might need tweaking in future, but setting up this championship is a first step and an important one.’

There will be West Cork representation in Mulvihill’s U20 panel, with Ilen Rovers duo Leah Carey and Maeve Collins included, as are Ellie McCarthy and Hannah Sheehy from Castlehaven. Aoibhinn McKeogh (Ibane Gaels), Cliodhna O’Shea (Bantry Blues) and Caoimhe Horgan (Kinsale) are also on the squad.

With Clona Dairy on board as sponsors, and training underway for Cork’s opening match at home to Dublin on May 9th, it’s all systems go.

‘It’s a step forward, keeps those girls playing football and brings them up to a higher, more physical standard. There’s also talk of introducing the new rules at this level, which would be another step forward before they move into senior.

‘We’ve about 22 players involved from the last two minor squads, which is great. It keeps that conveyor belt going – they’re not missing a year or two at county level, it’s continuous development for them.’

Mulvihill, who has coached Cork LGFA underage teams, knows a lot of these Cork players from U16 level, and is excited about the challenge. He’s also pleased to put together a strong management team that includes Ger Scannell (Glanmire), Vivienne O’Callaghan (Castlehaven), Nicole Hickey (Glanmire), Colin McTaggart (Nemo Rangers), and Patricia Carey (Ilen Rovers) as FLO.