THERE ARE ONLY so many times sporting teams can avoid the big swinging trapdoor, but some relegations still come as a shock.
While it would surprise nobody to see Everton lose their long-treasured top flight status in English soccer, there are some demotions you don’t see coming, such as the fate that befell Glen Rovers in Cork last weekend.
Here, we look at some of the clubs who have found to their cost that they weren’t ‘too big to go down.’
1. Glen Rovers (Cork)
97 years in the Cork senior hurling championship came to a shuddering and shocking end on Saturday as they lost 1-16 to 1-13 to Kanturk in the premier senior hurling championship relegation play-off.
With 27 Cork championships, their most recent in 2016, they are one of the most storied clubs. Famed for being the adopted club of Christy Ring and in recent times, Patrick Horgan, who hit seven points in this game, 0-3 from frees.
They have also been in a further 18 finals, the last in 2021.
Glen’s city rivals Na Piarsaigh dropped out of top flight hurling last year.
2. Austin Stacks (Kerry)
Kerry champions in 2021, Kerry and Munster champions in 2014, it appears the club of Kieran Donaghy squeezed a late championship out two years ago under the astute management of Wayne Quillinan.
However, they lost a relegation play-off last year to Kenmare Shamrocks, 3-11 to 1-15 and bowed out of the Intermediate championship this year at semi-final stage.
As it happens, the team they beat in the 2021 final – Kerins O’Rahillys who won the Munster title last year, are in this year’s senior relegation final as the natural order of things has been turned on its’ head.
3, St Vincent’s (Dublin)
Seven years doesn’t even come close to the career span of the average club footballer and hurler. In 2014, Dublin’s most decorated club lifted the All-Ireland club title – their third – with Diarmuid Connolly’s 2-5 an incredible feat of scoring.
They followed it up with further county titles, scooping three of the next four championships.
But seven years later they were losing a relegation play-off to Whitehall Colmcille to drop out of the Grade 1 championship in late October.
After some soul-searching, they are back on the right track and were promoted last year and face into a senior quarter final next Sunday against Raheny in Parnell Park.
4. Portumna (Galway)
On the same day St Vincent’s won their last All-Ireland, Galway club Portumna were securing their fourth All Ireland hurling championship with victory over Mount Leinster Rangers.
During that exceptional run, Portumna starred as they struck for six county titles between 2003 and 2013, and were runner-up in ’04, ’06 and 2014.
It helps when you have Ollie and Joe Canning in their prime, but a small town like Portumna was always going to experience a dip and in August 2020 they were sent to Senior B when they lost 4-21 to 1-18 to Castlegar.
5. Garrycastle (Westmeath)
Since the turn of the century, Garrycastle established themselves as one of the premier clubs in Westmeath, gobbling up eight championships, the most recent being 2019, while they also took St Loman’s to a final replay in 2021.
They also struck for a Leinster title in 2011 when they beat St Brigid’s of Dublin by a single point in the final.
A couple of months ago however, they lost their senior status after defeat to Tang sent them down.
6. Oulart the Ballagh (Wexford)
Just six years from winning the Leinster hurling championship, Oulart the Ballagh’s 36-year spell in senior hurling came to an end in September 2021 when they lost to rivals St Martin’s in a relegation playoff.
Interestingly, the teams that day were managed by John Meyler (St Martin’s) and Liam Dunne (Oulart). They jumped straight back up again, in winning the Intermediate final in 2022. They sit second on the roll of honour in Wexford with 13 titles, but their first only arrived in 1994.
An interesting subplot is that Rathnure, the market leaders with 20 championships to their name, were sent down this year.
7. Borris In Ossory Kilcotton (Laois)
Senior hurling champions in Laois in 2016 and then beaten finalists in three of the last four championships, Borris In Ossory Kilcotton were beaten at the end of August in a relegation playoff against The Harps on a scoreline of 0-28 to 2-20.
