The St. Finbarr's team that played the club's first adult fixture for 60 years in a challenge match last July.
By John Harrington
Conventional wisdom would suggest it’s very difficult to set up a new hurling club from scratch in the developing counties and complete the player pathway all the way from nursery to senior level.
St. Finbarr’s hurling club in Derry are about to prove though that where there’s a will there’s a way.
The club was revived in 2017 by a few hurling zealots fuelled by a dream to bring hurling to the children of South Derry’s football heartland.
What started as summer training sessions for any children with an interest in playing hurling has mushroomed into a vibrant club that fields teams at U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15, and U-17 level.
And now they’re ready to complete the player pathway in 2024 by fielding a senior team for the very first time in 60 years.
“Yes, that’s the plan for the 2024 season,” says St. Finbarr’s Secretary, Seamus Kane.
“We intend to enter the Ulster Junior League and the Cúchulainn League. The plan would be to play in those competitions for a couple of years and then join the Derry Junior League and Championship once we're that bit more established.
“A couple of our lads have started social hurling and the reason for that was to create a foundation for the senior team in the next couple of years so our 18 and 19-year-olds have an avenue for hurling so we don't lose them.”
History was made in July when St. Finbarr’s fielded an adult team for the very first time when they played a challenge match against Tyrone club, Cúchulainn on Ghleanna, that ended in a draw.
Their senior team will soon begin preparations for next year and are currently working off a panel of 29 players that’s a mixture of 18 and 19-year-olds they’ve brought through their underage teams and 25 to 35 year olds who have rallied to the cause.
The St. Finbarr's U-17 team that will contest the Derry 'C' Final this weekend.
More recruits are always welcome, so if you’re living in the south Derry area and fancy reigniting your competitive hurling career or even just trying your hand at social hurling, St. Finbarr’s will welcome you with open arms.
“We’re delighted how it has grown since we first started,” says Kane. “ This is our second year fielding at U-17 level, so we've consolidated. The Táin Óg was very good for us because it gave us games at the level we need them to be.
“This Sunday our U-17s will play in Derry 'C' Final. The U-15s were only beaten by one point by Kevin Lynchs in the 'B' championship final and we won the U-15 'B' League for the first time.
“We also won the Táin Óg Shield at U-15 level and we also reached the Ulster regional final and were only beaten by Keady by three points.
“We're progressing well. It's definitely been a very positive year, and it’s exciting to look ahead to next year when we’ll have a senior team that will hopefully go from strength to strength.”
Anyone interested in joining St. Finbarrs Hurling club can contact them through their Facebook page.
