IT WAS A county senior final win with a notable change for Nemo Rangers.
The kingpins of Cork football were in a familiar pose of champions yesterday afternoon and yet this set of circumstances was utterly different to anything they had encountered before.
August 2021 brought about victory in a 2020 final, a fixture that has been placed in cold storage for over ten months.
It was 47 weeks exactly since their semi-final success, an unimaginable wait to play the decider as the pandemic brought sport all over the country to a shuddering halt.
The progress of the Cork hurlers this summer had a direct impact with the Cahalane brothers in action for Castlehaven but the conclusion of the Liam MacCarthy Cup race last Sunday meant the way was eventually paved for this county football decider.
“It is weird,” admitted Nemo Rangers forward Paul Kerrigan.
“Your first game being down here, both teams queuing up outside to get in. All the fans on one side (of the stadium). It’s great but it’s surreal, to be playing in sunny conditions down here as well, it’s usually October (for a county final).
“I think once Cork won the semi against Kilkenny, we’d a definite date then and that made it an awful lot easier. It allowed lads who were carrying knocks to rest a week and miss a challenge game and focus on the rehab.”
Just to add another twist to the occasion, Nemo Rangers will enjoy an off-season of just six days.
The defence of their title commences next Saturday with an opening group game in the 2021 championship against Valley Rovers.
“It’s been strange alright. Happy to get this out of the way and get back to a bit of normality. We’ve played Munster club before a week or two after county championship wins. We’re playing now every two, three weeks. We’re going to have to do it, we’ve a bullseye on our back now.”
The latest success elevates Kerrigan to the joint record in his club for county senior football medals. His ninth victory will be savoured as much as his first back in 2005. He has been involved in twelve Cork senior deciders with a result record that now reads nine wins, two draws and one defeat.
“I think that’s the joint record with a few lads from the club so try to get the 10th over the next couple of years and call it a day then. We’ve done back-to-back counties, something we haven’t done in a long time so we’re happy with that as well.
“Everything has to be celebrated. Members are delighted to be here, everyone’s happy to see them all in the field, which is brilliant.”
It was the first senior crown Nemo had lifted since the passing of club stalwart Jim Cremin, with captain Micheal Aodh Martin paying tribute to him in his acceptance speech afterwards.
Coláiste Chríost Rí lost a colleague, friend & legend yesterday. Jim Cremin will be forever remembered and loved by staff, students, parents & everybody associated with our school. His legacy will live long in our memories. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal. pic.twitter.com/2McFAdqTgj
— Coláiste Chríost Rí (@Chriost_Ri) November 5, 2020
“He (Jim) was mentioned a lot during the week,” remarked Kerrigan.
“There was a story, he used to say to the older fellas, the most important Nemo player isn’t born yet. So that means it’s our job to inspire the next lads.
“You see all the kids here, a lot of these lads I played with now, saw me and a few older lads on the four-in-a-row team years ago. You want to see teams winning counties and down here that’s what you kind of try to inspire them to do.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
