Carbery Junior A Football Championship

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; 99 years ago (1926)
Region	Carbery (GAA)
Trophy	Mick McCarthy Cup
No. of teams	16
Title holders	Kilmacabea (4th 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. Kilmacabea are the title-holders, after defeating Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's by 1-12 to 1-4 in the 2024 final.

Format

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.

Teams

2024 Teams

The 16 teams competing in the 2024 Carbery Junior A Football Championship are:

Team	Location	Colours	Position in 2024	In championship since	Championship Titles	Last Championship Title
Argideen Rangers	Timoleague	Maroon and white	Quarter-finals	?	1	1994
Ballinascarthy	Ballinascarthy	Red and white	Quarter-finals	?	2	1983
Barryroe	Barryroe	Blue and navy	Group stage	?	1	2023
Carbery Rangers	Rosscarbery	Green, white and gold	Quarter-finals	?	10	2003
Castlehaven	Castlehaven	Blue and white	Semi-finals	?	2	1976
Clonakilty	Clonakilty	Green and red	Group stage	?	4	1977
Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas	Castletown-Kinneigh	Blue and yellow	Runners-up	?	0	—
Kilbrittain	Kilbrittain	Black and yellow	Group stage	?	1	1926
Kilmacabea	Leap	Green and yellow	Champions	?	4	2024
Kilmeen	Rossmore	Blue and white	Group stage	?	0	—
Newcestown	Newcestown	Red and gold	Group stage	?	4	1990
Randal Óg	Ballinacarriga	Yellow and green	Quarter-finals	?	0	—
St. Colum's	Kealkill	Black and orange	Group stage	?	1	2013
St Mary's	Enniskean	Yellow and black	Semi-finals	?	2	2014
St Oliver Plunketts	Ahiohill	Black and white	Group stage	2024	0	—
Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh's	Caheragh	Red and yellow	Group stage	?	7	2021

Trophy and medals

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.

Sponsorship

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]

Roll of honour

By club

#	Club	Titles	Runners-up	Championships won	Championships runner-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
	Kilmacabea	4	2	2017, 2018, 2020, 2024	2015, 2023
	Ilen Rovers	4	1	1996, 1999, 2000, 2001	1997
12	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’s	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 Plunketts	0	2	—	2009, 2012
	Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's	0	2	—	2002, 2024
	Innishannon	0	1	—	1927
	Barley Hill	0	1	—	1935
	Kilmeen	0	1	—	1987
	Muintir Bháire	0	1	—	2007

List of finals

Year	Winners		Runners-up		Venue	Winning captain	#
	Club	Score	Club	Score
1926	Kilbrittain	0-04	Clonakilty	1-00	Clonakilty Grounds
1927	Dohenys	0-04	Innishannon	0-02
1928	Bantry Blues	2-02	Dohenys	0-05
1929	Bandon	1-01	Clonakilty	0-03	Innshannon Grounds
1930	Clonakilty	2-05	Dohenys	0-02	Clonakilty Grounds
1931	Dohenys	1-01	Bantry Blues	0-02	Sam Maguire Park
1932	Bantry Blues	1-05	Dohenys	0-01	Rossa Park
1933	Enniskeane	1-05	O'Donovan Rossa	2-01	Rossa Park
1934	Enniskeane	0-02	Darrara	0-01
1935	Dohenys	w/o	Barley Hill	scr
1936	Enniskeane	2-04	Bantry Blues	1-03	Clonakilty Grounds
1937	Carbery Rangers	3-04	Bantry Blues	2-00	Rossa Park
1938	Carbery Rangers	w/o	Enniskeane	scr.
1939	Carbery Rangers	1-05	O'Donovan Rossa	1-01
1940	Carbery Rangers	2-01	Dohenys	0-03	St Mary's Park
1941	Drimoleague	0-05	Bandon	0-01	St Mary's Park
1942	Drimoleague	1-00	Carbery Rangers	0-02	St Mary's Park
1943	Rock Rovers	2-01	Carbery Rangers	0-04	Rossa Park
1944	Bantry Blues	2-04	St. Mary's	0-02	Sam Maguire Park
1945	O'Donovan Rossa	4-07	St. Mary's	3-01	Clonakilty Grounds
1946	Bantry Blues	2-05	Carbery Rangers	1-03
1947	Bandon	3-02	Bantry Blues	0-10	Sam Maguire Park
1948	Clonakilty	1-05	Dohenys	1-02	St Mary's Park
1949	Clonakilty	3-04	Dohenys	1-03
1950	Bandon	2-03	Dohenys	0-01	Clonakilty Grounds
1951	Bandon	1-01	O'Donovan Rossa	1-03	Clonakilty Grounds
1952	Bandon	1-04	O'Donovan Rossa	1-02
1953	Bandon	2-06	Darrara	2-02	Bandon Grounds
1954	Darrara	4-08	O'Donovan Rossa	0-02	Sam Maguire Park
1955	Darrara	1-11	Carbery Rangers	1-03
1956	Dohenys	3-04	Carbery Rangers	1-02	Clonakilty Grounds
1957	Dohenys	2-04	O'Donovan Rossa	0-05	Clonakilty Grounds
1958	Dohenys	7-05	Clann na nGael	0-02	Clonakilty Grounds	Michael Farr
1959	Dohenys	2-09	Ballinascarthy	1-02	Clonakilty Grounds
1960	Bandon	2-09	Ballinascarthy	0-05	Sam Maguire Park	Denis O'Donovan
1961	O'Donovan Rossa	3-01	Dohenys	1-06	Wolfe Tone Park
1962	Dohenys	2-06	Newcestown	0-04	Bandon Grounds	Derry White
1963	O'Donovan Rossa	1-06	Dohenys	1-05	Clonakilty Grounds	Pat Laverty
1964	Newcestown	3-04	Bandon	1-01	Clonakilty Grounds	Dermot Kehilly
1965	Dohenys	2-09	Newcestown	1-00	Bandon Grounds	John Crowley
1966	Dohenys	3-03	Newcestown	2-04	Bandon Grounds	D. D. Lyons
1967	Newcestown	0-08	Bantry Blues	0-05	Sam Maguire Park	Tim Joe Collins
1968	Bantry Blues	1-12	Ballinascarthy	0-05	Rossa Park	Donal Hunt
1969	Bantry Blues	2-07	Ballinascarthy	0-11	Rossa Park	Donal Hunt
1970	Bandon	2-09	Bantry Blues	0-03	Clonakilty Grounds	Pa Harrington
1971	Bandon	3-10	Bantry Blues	1-14	Sam Maguire Park	Jimmy Gabriel
1972	Bantry Blues	3-14	Carbery Rangers	2-03	Sam Maguire Park	P. J. Minihane
1973	Castlehaven	0-15	Carbery Rangers	1-10	Rossa Park	Morgan Courtney
1974	O'Donovan Rossa	1-11	Clonakilty	1-06	Rosscarbery Grounds	Dinny Kelly
1975	Bandon	1-12	Carbery Rangers	0-06	Clonakilty Grounds	Robert Wilmot
1976	Castlehaven	1-06	O'Donovan Rossa	1-05	Rosscarbery Grounds	Christy Collins
1977	Clonakilty	3-13	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	2-03	Rossa Park	Gabriel Quirke
1978	Ballinascarthy	0-09	Carbery Rangers	0-08	Sam Maguire Park	Teddy Holland
1979	O'Donovan Rossa	3-11	Gabriel Rangers	1-06	Wolfe Tone Park	Pat Hanrahan
1980	Carbery Rangers	0-13	Barryroe	1-06	Clonakilty Grounds	Michael Paul Hicks
1981	Clann na nGael	0-06	Newcestown	0-05	Sam Maguire Park	Derry Deane
1982	O'Donovan Rossa	0-08	Gabriel Rangers	1-04	Rosscarbery Grounds	Finbarr Kearney
1983	Ballinascarthy	1-09	Gabriel Rangers	2-05	Rosscarbery Grounds	John O'Donovan
1984	Carbery Rangers	1-08	Clann na nGael	0-05	St. Mary's	Finbarr Santry
1985	Bantry Blues	0-10	Ballinascarthy	0-09	Sam Maguire Park	John Hutchinson
1986	Bandon	1-07	Ballinascarthy	0-08	St. Mary's Park	Niall Crowley
1987	Carbery Rangers	0-14	Kilmeen	0-05	Clonakilty Grounds	Michael O'Rourke
1988	Newcestown	5-04	Clann na nGael	2-08	Sam Maguire Park	Tim Buckley
1989	Bandon	1-10	Newcestown	1-07	Clonakilty Grounds	Niall Crowley
1990	Newcestown	4-05	Dohenys	1-06	Rossmore Grounds	Thomas Crowley
1991	Carbery Rangers	1-11	Ballinascarthy	1-05	Sam Maguire Park	Kevin Santry
1992	Dohenys	2-10	Carbery Rangers	1-08	Páirc Tadhg na Samhna	Barry Herlihy
1993	Dohenys	1-10	Kilbrittain	1-06	Clonakilty Grounds	Kieran Farr
1994	Argideen Rangers	0-07	Barryroe	0-05	Kilbrittain Grounds	Tadhg Crowley
1995	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	1-13	Carbery Rangers	0-09	Rossa Park	Denis O'Sullivan
1996	Ilen Rovers	3-11	Carbery Rangers	0-04	Castlehaven Grounds	Fachtna Collins
1997	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	3-10	Ilen Rovers	2-07	Castlehaven Grounds	Pat Hegarty
1998	Carbery Rangers	2-06	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	0-10	Sam Maguire Park	Eugene Murphy
1999	Ilen Rovers	1-16	Carbery Rangers	1-14	Aughaville Grounds	Pat Connolly
2000	Ilen Rovers	1-15	Carbery Rangers	3-07	Castlehaven Grounds	Donal Murphy
2001	Ilen Rovers	0-19	St. Colum's	0-09	Wolfe Tone Park	Martin Cronin
2002	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	0-13	Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's	0-11	Rosscarbery Grounds	Tadhg Deasy
2003	Carbery Rangers	0-15	Barryroe	0-06	St. Mary's Park	Johnny Murphy
2004	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	1-06	O'Donovan Rossa	1-05	Castlehaven Grounds	Mike Kingston
2005	O'Donovan Rossa	1-09	Gabriel Rangers	0-08	Rosscarbery Grounds	Martin Bohane
2006	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	0-13	St. Colum's	0-06	Wolfe Tones Park	Seán O'Sullivan
2007	Bandon	1-11	Muintir Bháire	0-11	Ballinacarriga Grounds	Kevin Walsh
2008	Bandon	1-13	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	0-11	Sam Maguire Park	Kevin Walsh
2009	St. Mary's	1-11	St. Oliver Plunkett's	0-12	Castletown Grounds	Stephen Keohane
2010	Gabriel Rangers	1-09	Clann na nGael	0-08	Rossa Park	Kieran O'Callaghan
2011	Bandon	2-12	Clann na nGael	1-09	Ahamilla Complex	Alan Johnson
2012	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	0-21	St. Oliver Plunkett's	1-16	Leap Grounds	Colm O'Driscoll
2013	St. Colum's	1-09	Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh	0-07	Sam Maguire Park	Shane McSweeney
2014	St. Mary's	1-09	Gabriel Rangers	0-11	Aughaville Grounds	Jason Collins
2015	Bandon	1-10	Kilmacabea	0-08	Henry Ford Park	Pat Prendergast
2016	Gabriel Rangers	2-09	St. Colum's	1-08	Aughaville Grounds	Mark Cronin	[9]
2017	Kilmacabea	2-08	Kilbrittain	2-04	Ahamilla Complex	Clive Sweetnam	[10]
2018	Kilmacabea	0-15	Tadhg Mac Carthaigh's	0-10	Páirc Tadhg na Samhna	Niall Hayes	[11]
2019	St. James'	0-11	Ballinascarthy	0-09	Or Lady's Well Grounds	Joe O'Sullivan	[12]
2020	Kilmacabea	1-18	Carbery Rangers	0-07	St. James' Park	Joe Collins	[13]
2021	Tadhg Mac Carthaigh's	2-10	St Mary's	1-08	Sam Maguire Park	Brian O'Driscoll	[14]
2022	St. James'	0-11	Argideen Rangers	0-05	Páirc Uinsinn	Conor Hayes	[15]
2023	Barryroe	1-12	Kilmacabea	0-14	Sam Maguire Park	David O'Sullivan
2024	Kilmacabea	1-12	Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's	1-04

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.

Records

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.

See also

• Carbery Junior A Hurling Championship