The Cork Senior A Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as McCarthy Insurance Group Cork County Senior A Football Championship and abbreviated to the Cork SAFC) is an annual club Gaelic football competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 2020 for the second tier senior Gaelic football teams in the county of Cork in Ireland.
| Cork Senior A Football Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2024 Cork Senior A Football Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Peile Sinsearach A Chorcaí |
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Region |  Cork (GAA) |
| Trophy | Kevin McTernan Cup |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Title holders |  Newcestown (1st title) |
| Most titles | Various teams (1 titles) |
| Sponsors | McCarthy Insurance Group |
| Official website | Cork GAA |
In its current format, the Cork Senior A Championship begins in early autumn. The 12 participating club teams are divided into three groups of four teams and play each other in a round-robin system. The three group winners and the three runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Newcestown are the title holders after beating Dohenys by 0-13 to 0-08 in the 2023 final.[1]
History
editDevelopment
editOn 26 March 2019, three championship proposals were circulated to Cork club delegates after an expensive review process of the entire Cork championship system. A core element running through all three proposals, put together by the Cork GAA games workgroup, was that there be a group stage of 12 teams, as well as straight relegation and promotion.[2] On 2 April 2019, a majority of 136 club delegates voted for Option A which provided for one round of games played in April and two more in August – all with inter-county players available.[3] The decision meant that, for the first time since 1887, the top tier of Cork football was split in two into the Cork Premier Senior Championship and the Cork Senior A Championship.
Beginnings
editThe inaugural championship was scheduled to begin in April 2020, however, it was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic in Ireland.[4] When the championship resumed, time constraints led to a revision of the format, with the play-offs for the second best and third best third placed teams being abolished. The knockout stage was further reduced, with the two best-ranking teams from the group stage receiving byes to the semi-finals and the other four qualifying teams contesting two lone quarter-finals. The very first match eventually took place on 24 July 2020, with Bandon claiming a 1-12 to 0-06 victory over Clyda Rovers. Bandon's Mark O'Regan scored the very first championship point before later scoring the championship's very first goal.[5]
Regular format
editGroup stage
editThe 12 teams are divided into three groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, which features one game in April and two games in August, 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 knock-out stage.
Knockout stage
editPlay-off: The second best and third best third placed teams from the group stage play off for last quarter-final place.
Quarter-finals: The play-off winner and the seven top-ranking teams from the group stage contest this round. The four winners from these four games advance to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners contest this round. The two winners from these four games advance to the semi-finals.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Promotion and relegation
editAt the end of the championship, the winning team is automatically promoted to the Cork Premier Senior Championship for the following season. The three bottom-placed teams from the group stage take part in a series of play-offs, with the losing team being relegated to the Cork Premier Intermediate Championship.
Teams
edit2024 Teams
edit| Team | Location | Division | Colours | Position in 2023 | In championship since | Championship titles (PSFC) | Last championship title (PSFC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Béal Átha'n Ghaorthaidh | Ballingeary | Muskerry | Black and red | Quarter-finals | 2020 | 0 | — |
 Bishopstown | Bishopstown | Seandun | Maroon and white | Group stage | 2021 | 0 | — |
 Carrigaline | Carrigaline | Carrigdhoun | Blue and yellow | Group stage (Cork PSFC) | 2024 | 0 | — |
 Cill Na Martra | Kilnamartyra | Muskerry | Blue and white | Champions (Cork PIFC) | 2024 | 0 | — |
 Clyda Rovers | Mourne Abbey | Avondhu | Black and yellow | Group stage | 2020 | 0 | — |
 Dohenys | Dunmanway | Carbery | Green and white | Runners-up | 2020 | 1 | 1897 |
| Fermoy | Fermoy | Avondhu | Black and yellow | Group stage | 2020 | 7 | 1945 |
| Kanturk | Kanturk | Duhallow | Green and white | Quarter-finals | 2023 | 0 | — |
 Kiskeam | Kiskeam | Duhallow | Black and white | Group stage | 2020 | 0 | — |
| Knocknagree | Knocknagree | Duhallow | Blue and white | Semi-finals | 2021 | 0 | — |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | Duhallow | Red and black | Semi-finals | 2022 | 0 | — |
| O'Donovan Rossa | Skibbereen | Carbery | Red and white | Group stage | 2020 | 1 | 1992 |
Sponsorship
editIn July 2020, Bon Secours Hospital were unveiled as the title sponsor of the Cork Senior A Championship.[6] McCarthy Insurance Group became the new title sponsor in December 2023.[7]
Trophy and medals
editThe Kevin McTernan Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was donated in June 2021 to honour Kevin McTernan who served as a St Finbarr's player and selector.[8] Daniel Goulding of Éire Óg was the first recipient of the cup when it was presented to him after the 2020 final.
Traditionally, at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the victory presentation takes place at a special rostrum in the main grandstand. The cup is decorated with ribbons in the colours of the winning team. During the game the cup actually has both teams' sets of ribbons attached and the runners-up ribbons are removed before the presentation. The winning captain accepts the cup on behalf of his team before giving a short speech. Individual members of the winning team then have an opportunity to come to the rostrum to lift the cup, which is held by the winning team until the following year's final.
In accordance with GAA rules, the County Board awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners. The medals depict a stylised version of the Cork GAA crest.
List of finals
edit| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Winning captain(s) | Venue | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | ||||
| 2024 | |||||||
| 2023 | Newcestown | 0-13 | Dohenys | 0-08 | Luke Meade | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | [9] |
| 2022 | St. Michael's | 2-07 | Knocknagree | 0-06 | Seán Keating Tom Lenihan | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | [10] |
| 2021 | Mallow | 2-12 | St. Michael's | 0-15 | Eoin Stanton | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | [11] |
| 2020 | Éire Óg | 2-13 | Mallow | 1-07 | Daniel Goulding | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | [12] |
Roll of honour
editBy club
edit| # | Team | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mallow | 1 | 1 | 2021 | 2020 |
 St. Michael's | 1 | 1 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Éire Óg | 1 | 0 | 2020 | — | |
| Newcestown | 1 | 0 | 2023 | — | |
| 5 | Knocknagree | 0 | 1 | — | 2022 |
| Dohenys | 0 | 1 | — | 2023 |
By Division
edit| # | Team | Wins | Runners-Up | Total | Last year won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Carbery | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2023 |
| Avondhu | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2021 | |
| Seandun | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2022 | |
| Muskerry | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2020 | |
| 5 |  Duhallow | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
Records and statistics
editTop scorers
editAll time
edit- As of match played 20 August 2023.
| Rank | Player | Club | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Seartan | Béal Átha'n Ghaorthaidh | 4-57 | 69 | 15 | 4.60 |
| 2 | Kevin Davis | O'Donovan Rossa | 1-65 | 68 | 12 | 5.66 |
| 3 | Mark Buckley | Dohenys | 4-50 | 62 | 14 | 4.42 |
| 4 | Fintan O'Connor | Knocknagree | 4-37 | 49 | 10 | 4.90 |
| 5 | Arthur Coakley | Bantry Blues | 2-35 | 41 | 8 | 5.12 |
| 6 | Daniel Goulding | Éire Óg | 2-34 | 40 | 6 | 6.66 |
| 7 | Adam Hennessy | St. Michael's | 5-24 | 39 | 13 | 3.00 |
| Barry Collins | Bandon | 2-33 | 39 | 9 | 4.33 | |
| 9 | Seán O'Sullivan | Kiskeam | 1-35 | 38 | 11 | 3.45 |
| 10 | Keith White | Dohenys | 1-33 | 36 | 14 | 2.57 |
By year
edit| Year | Top scorer | Team | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Daniel Goulding | Éire Óg | 2-34 | 40 |
| 2021 | Mark Buckley | Dohenys | 1-24 | 27 |
| 2022 | Kevin Davis | O'Donovan Rossa | 0-31 | 31 |
| 2023 | David Buckley | Newcestown | 0-37 | 37 |
In a single game
edit| Year | Top scorer | Team | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Daniel Goulding | Éire Óg | 2-07 | 13 |
| 2021 | Mark Buckley | Dohenys | 0-10 | 10 |
| 2022 | Ryan O'Keeffe | Newmarket | 4-03 | 15 |
| 2023 | Anthony O'Connor | Knocknagree | 1-08 | 11 |
In finals
edit| Final | Top scorer | Team | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Joe Cooper | Éire Óg | 1-02 | 5 |
| Dylan Foley | Éire Óg | |||
| 2021 | Tadhg Deasy | St. Michael's | 0-08 | 8 |
| 2022 | Adam Hennessy | St. Michael's | 2-01 | 7 |
| 2023 | David Buckley | Newcestown | 0-09 | 9 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Double delight for Newcestown after landing the SAFC title following victory over Dohenys". Echo Live. 11 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ Cormican, Eoghan (26 March 2019). "Here's a breakdown of the proposals to restructure the Cork county championships". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ "Cork clubs vote down radical restructuring proposals". RTÉ Sport. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ "Cork GAA Statement 18/03/2020". Cork GAA website. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ Moynihan, Michael (24 July 2020). "Classy Sugrue the difference as Bandon overcome Clyda Rovers". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ O'Connor, Colm (21 July 2020). "Bon Secours Hospital Cork to sponsor football championships". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ Cormican, Eoghan (14 December 2023). "Castlehaven drawn with Clonakilty and Carbery Rangers for second successive year". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Woods, Mark (19 June 2021). "Barrs great Kevin McTernan will be honoured when Mallow face Éire Óg". The Echo. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ Cormican, Eoghan (11 November 2023). "Newcestown's fairytale gets a fitting finish as Buckley devours Dohenys to seal double". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "St Michael's finally land county title with Adam Hennessy firing two goals past Knocknagree". Echo Live. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ Hurley, Denis (28 November 2021). "SAFC: Seán Hayes on target at death to give Mallow victory over St Michael's". Echo Live. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "County champions: Éire Óg carve out their own place in football history". The Echo. 19 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.