South_West_Junior_A_Football_Championship
Carbery Junior A Football Championship
Youth Gaelic football competition in Ireland
The Carbery Junior A Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bandon Co-op Carbery Junior A Football Championship and abbreviated to the Carbery JAFC) is an annual club Gaelic football competition organised by the West Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in West Cork, Ireland, deciding the competition winners through a group stage and knockout format. It is the most prestigious competition in West Cork Gaelic football.
| Carbery Junior A Football Championship | |
|---|---|
| Irish | Craobh Peile Sóisear A Cairbre |
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 1926; 98 years ago (1926) |
| Region |  Carbery (GAA) |
| Trophy | Mick McCarthy Cup |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Title holders |  Barryroe (2nd title) |
| Most titles |  Bandon (16 titles) |
| Sponsors | Bandon Co-op |
| Official website | Carbery GAA |
Introduced in 1926 as the West Cork Junior Championship, it was initially a straight knockout tournament. The competition went through a number of format changes since then, including the introduction of a back-door or second chance for beaten teams. The competition took on its current format in 2022, adding a round-robin group stage and limiting the number of entrants.
In its current format, the Carbery Junior Football Championship begins with a group stage in late summer. The 16 participating teams are divided into four groups of four and play each other in a round-robin system. The two top-ranking teams in each group proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final. The winner of the Carbery Junior Championship, as well as receiving the Mick McCarthy Cup, also qualifies for the subsequent Cork Junior A Football Championship.
The competition has been won by 22 teams, 18 of which have won it more than once. Bandon are the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 16 times. Barryroe are the title-holders, after defeating Kilmacabea by 1-12 to 0-14 in the 2023 final.
Group stage
The 16 teams are divided into four groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least three games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage.
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals: The four group winners are paired with the four group runners-up. Four teams qualify for the next round.
Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners contest this round. The two winners from these games advance to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
2023 Teams
| Team | Location | Colours | Championship Titles | Last Championship Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argideen Rangers |
Timoleague | Maroon and white | 1 | 1994 |
 Ballinascarthy |
Ballinascarthy | Red and white | 2 | 1983 |
| Bandon |
Bandon | Yellow and white | 16 | 2015 |
| Barryroe |
Barryroe | Blue and navy | 1 | 2023 |
 Carbery Rangers |
Rosscarbery | Green, white and gold | 10 | 2003 |
 Castlehaven |
Castlehaven | Blue and white | 2 | 1976 |
 Clonakilty |
Clonakilty | Green and red | 4 | 1977 |
 Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas |
Castletown-Kinneigh | Blue and yellow | 0 | — |
 Kilbrittain |
Kilbrittain | Black and yellow | 1 | 1926 |
 Kilmacabea |
Leap | Green and yellow | 3 | 2020 |
| Kilmeen |
Rossmore | Blue and white | 0 | — |
 Newcestown |
Newcestown | Red and gold | 4 | 1990 |
| Randal Óg |
Ballinacarriga | Yellow and green | 0 | — |
| St. Colum's |
Kealkill | Black and orange | 1 | 2013 |
| St Mary's |
Enniskean | Yellow and black | 2 | 2014 |
| Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh's |
Caheragh | Red and yellow | 7 | 2021 |
The Mick McCarthy Perpetual Memorial Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was commissioned to honour Mick McCarthy who played for O'Donovan Rossa, Carbery, Cork and Munster, and who died from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident on 5 February 1998, at the age of 33.[1][2][3] The cup was unveiled in October 1998 and first presented to Eugene Murphy, captain of the Carbery Rangers team which won the 1998 final. The cup replaced the Little Norah Cup which, after being donated by Beamish and Crawford in 1949, was last presented in 1997.[4][5]
In accordance with GAA rules, the West Cork Board awards a set of medals to the championship winners.
| Period | Sponsor(s) | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckley Financial | The Buckley Financial South West Junior A Football Championship | [6] | |
| 2014-2018 | Rowa/Rowex Pharma | The Rowa/Rowex Pharma South West Junior A Football Championship | [7] |
| 2019- | Bandon Co-Op | The Bandon Co-Op Carbery Junior A Football Championship | [8] |
| # | Team | Wins | Runners-up | Years won | Years Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandon |
16 | 2 | 1929, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1960, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1986, 1989, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015 | 1941, 1964 |
| 2 |  Dohenys |
12 | 10 | 1927, 1931, 1935, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1992, 1993 | 1928, 1930, 1932, 1940, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1961, 1963, 1990 |
| 3 | Carbery Rangers |
10 | 14 | 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1980, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1998, 2003 | 1942, 1943, 1946, 1955, 1956, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2020 |
| 4 | Bantry Blues |
9 | 7 | 1928, 1932, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1985 | 1931, 1936, 1937, 1947, 1967, 1970, 1971 |
| 5 | O'Donovan Rossa |
7 | 7 | 1945, 1961, 1963, 1974, 1979, 1982, 2005 | 1933, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1976, 2004 |
| Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh's |
7 | 5 | 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2021 | 1977, 1998, 2008, 2013, 2018 | |
| 7 | Newcestown |
4 | 6 | 1964, 1967, 1988, 1990 | 1962, 1965, 1966, 1981, 1982, 1989 |
| Clann na nGael |
4 | 5 | 1941, 1942, 1943 (Rock Rovers), 1981 | 1958, 1984, 1988, 2010, 2011 | |
| Clonakilty |
4 | 4 | 1930, 1948, 1949, 1977 | 1926, 1929, 1972, 1974 | |
| Ilen Rovers |
4 | 1 | 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 | 1997 | |
| 11 | Kilmacabea |
3 | 2 | 2017, 2018, 2020 | 2015, 2023 |
| Enniskean |
3 | 1 | 1933, 1934, 1936 | 1938 | |
| 13 | Ballinascarthy |
2 | 8 | 1978, 1983 | 1959, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1985, 1986, 1991, 2019 |
| Gabriel Rangers |
2 | 4 | 2010, 2016 | 1979, 1983, 2005, 2014 | |
| St Mary's |
2 | 3 | 2009, 2014 | 1944, 1945, 2021 | |
| Darrara |
2 | 2 | 1954, 1955 | 1934, 1953 | |
| Castlehaven |
2 | 0 | 1973, 1976 | — | |
| St James |
2 | 0 | 2019, 2022 | — | |
| 19 | St Colum's |
1 | 3 | 2013 | 2001, 2006, 2016 |
| Barryroe |
1 | 3 | 2023 | 1980, 1994, 2003 | |
| Kilbrittain |
1 | 2 | 1926 | 1993, 2017 | |
| Argideen Rangers |
1 | 1 | 1994 | 2022 | |
| 23 |  St. Oliver Plunkett's |
0 | 2 | — | 2009, 2012 |
| Innishannon |
0 | 1 | — | 1927 | |
| Barley Hill | 0 | 1 | — | 1935 | |
| Kilmeen |
0 | 1 | — | 1987 | |
 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's |
0 | 1 | — | 2002 | |
| Muintir Bháire |
0 | 1 | — | 2007 |
Notes:
- 1926 - The first match ended in a draw.
- 1935 - The first match ended in a draw: Dohenys 2-01, Barley Hill 2-01.
- 1938 - The first match ended in a draw: Carbery Rangers 2-02, Enniskeane 2-02.
- 1943 - The first match ended in a draw: Rock Rovers 1-06, Carbery Rangers 2-03.
- 1945 - The first match ended in a draw: O'Donovan Rossa 1-04, St Mary's 2-01.
- 1951 - Bandon won the title after an objection.
- 1960 - The first match ended in a draw: Bandon 1-05, Ballinascarthy 2-02.
- 1971 - The first match ended in a draw: Bandon 1-08, Bantry Blues 1-08.
- 1974 - The first match ended in a draw: O'Donovan Rossa 0-12, Clonakilty 2-06.
- 1985 - The first match ended in a draw: Bantry Blues 2-08, Ballinascarthy 1-11.
- 1990 - The first match ended in a draw: Newcestown 1-09, Dohenys 2-06.
- 1999 - The first match ended in a draw: Ilen Rovers 0-13, Carbery Rangers 1-10.
- 2013 - The first match ended in a draw: St Colum's 1-05, Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 0-08.
- 2014 - The first match ended in a draw: St Mary's 1-08, Gabriel Rangers 0-11.
- 2018 - The first match ended in a draw: Kilmacabea 0-12, Tadhg Mac Carthaigh's 2-06.
- 2023 - Extra time was played after the match ended in a draw: Barryroe 1-10, Kilmacabea 0-13.
 |
By decade
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of West Cork Junior Football Championship titles, is as follows:
- 1920s: 1 each for Kilbrittain (1926), Dohenys (1927), Bantry Blues (1928) and Bandon (1929)
- 1930s: 3 for Carbery Rangers (1937-38-39)
- 1940s: 3 for Clann na nGael (1941-43)
- 1950s: 4 each for Bandon (1950-51-52-53) and Dohenys (1956-57-58-59)
- 1960s: 3 for Dohenys (1962-65-66)
- 1970s: 3 for Bandon (1970-71-75)
- 1980s: 3 for Carbery Rangers (1980-84-87)
- 1990s: 2 each for Carbery Rangers (1991-98), Dohenys (1992-93), Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh's (1995-97) and Ilen Rovers (1996-99)
- 2000s: 3 for Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh's (2002-04-06)
- 2010s: 2 each for Gabriel Rangers (2010-16), Bandon (2011-15) and Kilmacabea (2017-18)
Successful defending
10 teams of the 21 who have won the championship have successfully defended the title. These are:
- Bandon on 5 occasions (1951, 1952, 1953, 1971 and 2008)
- Dohenys on 5 occasions (1957, 1958, 1959, 1966 and 1993)
- Carbery Rangers on 3 occasions {1938, 1939 and 1940)
- Bantry Blues on 2 occasions (1947 and 1969)
- Ilen Rovers on 2 occasions (2000 and 2001)
- Clonakilty on 1 occasion (1949)
- Enniskean on 1 occasion (1934)
- Clann na nGael on 1 occasion (1942)
- Darrara on 1 occasion (1955)
- Kilmacabea on 1 occasion (2018)
Gaps
Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles:
- 40 years: Carbery Rangers (1940-1980)
- 39 years: Clann na nGael (1942-1981)
- 28 years: Clonakilty (1949-1977)
- 26 years: Dohenys (1966-1992)
- 23 years: O'Donovan Rossa (1982-2005)
- 22 years: Bantry Blues (1932-1944)
- 21 years: Dohenys (1935-1956)
- 21 years: Bantry Blues (1947-1968)
- 21 years: Newcestown (1967-1988)
- 18 years: Bandon (1929-1947)
- 18 years: Clonakilty (1930-1948)
- 18 years: Bandon (1989-2007)
The Double
Five teams have won the South West Junior Football Championship and the South West Junior Hurling Championship in a single year as part of a Gaelic football-hurling double. Kilbrittain became the first team to win the double in 1926. Bandon are the record holders having claimed the double on four occasions - 1929, 1960, 1971 and 1975. Dohenys are the only club to have won a back-to-back double - 1958 and 1959. Newcestown (1967) and Clonakilty (1977) complete the list of double-winning teams.
Club sides Argideen Rangers, Ballinascarthy and O'Donovan Rossa also hold the distinction of being dual divisional junior championship-winning teams, however, these were not achieved in a single calendar season.
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- "CORK DOUBLE 1990: Remembering football stars John Kerins and Michael McCarthy". Irish Examiner. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
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- "Buckley Financial Junior Championships". Carbery GAA website. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- "Richie O'Sullivan: Winning first South West JAFC is the best feeling ever". The Southern Star. 17 September 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- "MASTER PLAN: Road to glory in Carbery laid out". The Southern Star. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- "Gabriel Rangers crowned South West junior A football champions". The Southern Star. 25 September 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- McCarthy, Kieran (10 September 2017). "HISTORY! Kilmacabea crowned South West JAFC champs for the first time". The Southern Star. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- Cormican, Eoghan (27 September 2018). "Fines handed to Cork clubs following mass brawl reduced on appeal". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- Farr, Derry (22 September 2019). "History makers... St James deliver a West Cork junior football title to deny Ballinscarthy the double". The Echo. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- Farr, Derry (4 October 2020). "Kilmacabea capture the Carbery JAFC title for the third time in four years". The Echo. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- McCarthy, Ger (4 November 2021). "West Cork junior football joy for Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh". The Echo. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- McCarthy, Ger (25 September 2022). "'This is like a dream' - St James seal promotion after convincing West Cork final win". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 September 2022.