Charleville CBS: A tale of two counties and border hurling ‘banter’

SEVEN former students of Charleville CBS are set to feature in this weekend's Munster senior hurling championship Final, representing both Limerick and Cork in the decider.

Limerick's David Reidy, Patrick O'Donovan, Fergal O'Connor and Micheal Houlihan all attended the Cork school, while Cork's Tim O'Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Cormac O'Brien also attended Charleville CBS.

“It's great to have seven players playing opposite each other and driving into it. It's really special when I watch Limerick and Cork playing,” said deputy principal of Charleville CBS Kevin Butler, who is long involved with hurling in the border secondary school. Butler describes the rivalry between the two counties on the border as ‘palpable’.

“The rivalry here is palpable at times. It's a very hurling rich area, South Limerick and North Cork, with very big clubs. The boys do get great banter out of it. We're happy in the school if one of them can bring home a trophy.”

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In 2011, David Reidy was part of the Charleville CBS side that reached the Dr Harty Cup final.

“We had an exceptional year that year, we got to a Harty Cup final. That was all built around David Reidy at centre back. We were unlucky in the final we came up against a monstrosity of an Ardscoil Ris team. They had an epic team of All-Stars. David was exceptional when he was in the school,” added the Charleville CBS Dr Harty Cup manager.

Butler has been impressed by Reidy's development over the last number of years.

“It's great to see David going so well, the last two or three years especially he's really broken into the team and became one of the main players.”

Micheál Houlihan, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Tim O'Mahony and former Limerick hurler Paddy O'Loughlin played on the same Dr Harty Cup team in 2014.

“I don't know would Micheal appreciate me saying this but he was more of a late bloomer. He really improved his hurling over time and he has really progressed into a fine senior hurler,” recalled Butler.

Tim O'Mahony has recently taught in the school.

“I actually get slagged now, I left Darragh (Fitzgibbon) on the sideline for a Dr Harty Cup quarter-final. He was only in third year or transition year at the time and he is obviously one of the best hurlers in the country. People like to remind me of it,” laughs Butler.

In 2019, Effin's Paddy O'Donovan and Fergal O'Connor lined out with Cork's Cormac O'Brien at Charleville CBS.

“Paddy O'Donovan was an exceptional talent, very academic and he was really good during all of his hurling career at the school. Fergal was always a hard worker and he was a real leader.”

Newtownshandrum, Charleville, Ballyhea, Bruree, Kilmallock, Effin and Ballyagran are some of the feeder clubs that have supplied the Cork school with some exceptional hurlers.

Butler emphasised the significant impact of having inter-county hurlers like David Reidy and Darragh Fitzgibbon teaching in local primary schools. Reidy, teaches at St Patrick's National School in Bruree, while Fitzgibbon, is a teacher at Ballyhea National School.

“Even when you're trying to attract new students to the school to say that this is the standard of hurler that is in the school. And the people that come to this school can progress on to the top level. It's great to have that as an example.

“David is teaching in Bruree and Darragh is teaching in Ballyhea, they are feeder schools. They are able to speak about the school when they're talking to their sixth class students about where they are going to go to school next year.”

Butler said it is a huge honour to have four players on the Limerick panel.

“To see anyone inside in the Limerick squad is amazing. They're the standard bearers at the minute and for us to have four boys at that level is a hugely honour and we're really proud of the boys,” added Butler.

2011 HARTY CUP FINAL AT A GLANCE

MATCH RECAP
LIMERICK'S Ardscoil Rís cruised to a comprehensive 3-19 to 0-3 victory over Charleville CBS in the 2011 Dr Harty Cup final. Declan Hannon, Shane Dowling and Cian Lynch were part of the victorious Ardscoil Rís panel, while David Reidy lined out for Charleville CBS. Niall Moran was the manager of Ardscoil Rís and current Limerick selector Liam Cronin was part of his backroom team. It was a first final appearance since 1938 for the north Cork school, while the Limerick city side were the defending champions of the Post Primary Schools Senior Hurling ‘A’ Championship.

ARDSCOIL RIS TEAM
PJ Hall; Kelvin Lynch, Barry O’Connell, Damien Moloney; Alan Dempsey, Declan Hannon, Martin Moroney; Mark Ryan, Jamie Shanahan; Mark Carmody, Shane Dowling, Brendan O’Connor; Kevin O’Brien, Oisin Hickey, John Fitzgibbon.

CHARLEVILLE CBS TEAM
TJ Garvey; Shane Butler, John Madigan, John Walsh; Conor Twomey, David Reidy, Alan Dennehy; Darren Sheehy, Mark O’Loughlin; Timmy Rea, Mark Kavanagh, John Morrissey; Dean Copps, James O’Brien, Pa O’Callaghan.