ELEANE BONSELL (St. Finbarr’s Hospital and formerly of Coolroe, Ballincollig) On May 3rd 2025 Eleane died peacefully in the tender care of the staff at St. Joseph’s No 2 Ward, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork. Her death is deeply regretted by her sister Suzanne, her Jehovah’s Witness friends and all others who knew and loved her. Memorial Talk on Wednesday (7th May) at 10.30am in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hibernian Road, Cork (T12 YY32) followed by cremation at 1.00pm in the Island Crematorium Ringaskiddy. Many thanks to the staff of St. Joseph’s No 2 Ward St. Finbarr’s Hospital for the excellent care given to Eleane. Rip.ie, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Ballincollig celebrate their win over Ballinora. Picture: Jim Coughlan A hard-fought win for Ballincollig as they were crowned John West Féile U15 Premier 1 football champions after getting the better of Muskerry rivals Ballinora at sun-kissed MTU Cork on Monday afternoon This exciting final between the near neighbours drew a large crowd to the Bishopstown complex in what was a low-scoring affair between two committed teams it was Ballincollig’s fast start to the second half which proved key in the Village getting over the line with 1-1 in the first two minutes of the new half Ballinora had their chances to reduce the deficit late on but superb defending from the Collig made sure they would take home the trophy It's Ballincollig's second successive year winning the Féile The Collig were led on by centre-back Jack O’Sullivan with the latter making an inspirational block to deny Ballinora a goal when the game was in the melting pot Midfielder Evan Stack covered a world of ground with Alex Hennessy Faolan O’Leary and Liam O’Brien all effective Shay O’Brien came on and added plenty of dynamism to the attack Ballincollig's Evan Stack moves away from Billy Mehigan of Ballinora Picture: Jim CoughlanBallinora were driven on by Donagh Conway with all of their scores coming from the midfielder The team in green and white opened the scoring after nine minutes when Stack converted a free but it was quickly cancelled out by a Conway free from a difficult angle Ballincollig finished the first period well with Stack adding another free and a great effort from Will Twomey despite being under pressure from the Ballinora defenders 0-3 to 0-1 at half-time and still everything to play for The winners put the game more or less out of Ballinora’s reach at the start of the second half when Shay O’Brien pointed followed by a Charlie Hannigan goal following a goalmouth scramble Ballincollig's Faolan O'Leary moves away from Peter O'Mahony of Ballinora Picture: Jim CoughlanBallinora did respond with a pair of Conway frees but Ballincollig had the last say and it was the score of the game Liam O’Brien sent over a sweet 45 two minutes from time Ballinora did press for scores in the final stages of the encounter Once referee Colm Ó Mocháin blew the full-time whistle it sparked wild celebrations from the Ballincollig camp as they came out on top in the glorious sunshine presents Jack O'Sullivan of Ballincollig the trophy Picture: Jim CoughlanScorers for Ballincollig: C Hannigan 1-0 BALLINCOLLIG: Jonathan O’Sullivan; C Murphy more Cork GAA articles Keep up-to-date with the top stories in Cork with our daily newsletter straight to your inbox Please click here for our privacy statement. 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Add Echolive.ie to your home screen - easy access to Cork news, views, sport and more The online home of everything new and happening in Ireland’s greatest city Bliss Hair Design in Ballincollig has expanded its gorgeous adding a new space with areas to rent for self-employed beauty professionals The Bliss team are calling all freelance makeup artists tan specialists or anyone else who’s interested to get in touch with a view to creating a one-stop beauty hub at their Westpoint Trade Centre location on the Link Road Parking is free and no matter what hours you like to work each week there’s an option for you to collaborate and thrive in a supportive environment while saving money on renting a space on your own Even your electricity and water bills are included plus the space comes unfurnished so you can put your own stamp on it and kit it out however you like Whether you’re looking for a long-term base to build your clientele or flexible options with day and half-day rates perfect for bridal parties and special events they have a space that suits your lifestyle and ambitions A post shared by Bliss (@blisshairballincollig) If you’ve been working as a freelance MUA and are looking to put down roots, or you’re a talented nail technician ready to dip your toe in the self-employed world, then get in touch with Andrea or Ken at Bliss Hair Design by emailing contact@blisshairballincollig.ie or slide into their DMs at @blisshairballincollig on Instagram Visit blisshairballincollig.ie to check out the salon.  Type and hit enter to display search result To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Statistics inspired by the river Lee and native Irish wildlife has been commissioned by Cork City Council to work on the project in the Regional Park in Ballincollig where he has carved dynamic figures of owls heron and other creatures into the trunks of the trees Nothing lasts forever but at least I’m here giving them a new lease of life Hopefully they will last for years,” he said From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in Follow and share the latest news and stories Brought to you by Bliss Hair Design. It could be your dream workspace. Bliss Hair Design in Ballincollig has expanded its gorgeous, newly renovated, luxury salon, adding a new space with areas to rent for self-employed beauty professionals. The Bliss team are calling all... Lee Kelly Obei pleaded guilty to committing a violent disorder with other persons at Oriel House Hotel, Ballincollig, County Cork, on March 12 2023 and a second charge of assault causing harm to the injured party who was aged around 20. Pic Larry Cummins Judge Sinead Behan said at the sentencing hearing for 21-year-old Lee Kelly Obei of Innishmore Grove Noting that the young man had gathered €10,000 compensation for the injured party Judge Behan said: “People cannot buy their way out This was an assault carried on inside and outside Oriel House I will remand him in custody for sentencing on February 27.”  Lee Kelly Obei pleaded guilty to committing a violent disorder with other persons at Oriel House Hotel on March 12 2023 and a second charge of assault causing harm to the injured party who was aged around 20 Detective Garda Alan Johnson testified that the injured party was effectively blindsided by a punch from Lee Kelly Obei on the night The victim did not have an opportunity to defend himself from the blow and he was then dragged outside the premises by the defendant and others Judge Behan was informed through a victim impact statement that the injured party suffered physical and psychological injuries as a result of the assault He said he did not taunt the men or anything like that and questioned why he received such a brutal attack A second defendant also faced sentencing arising out of the events that night but he pleaded guilty to engaging in a violent disorder and was not prosecuted for assault was described as playing a minor role compared to others that night Judge Behan noted that he had gathered €1,000 compensation She directed him to gather another €1,500 and imposed a two-year suspended sentence and ordered him to do 160 hours of community service Add Echolive.ie to your home screen - easy access to Cork news Burke (Ballincollig and formerly of Blackrock) On April 26th 2025 peacefully at Cork University Hospital Denis (DD) beloved husband of Ann and loving father of Ray, Elaine, Sally and Derek. Sadly missed by his loving wife and family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brother, sisters, extended family, relatives and friends. Lying in repose at Crowley’s Funeral Home Ballincollig (P31 W982) Wednesday (30th) from 6.00pm with prayers at 7.00pm. Requiem Mass at 12 noon Thursday (1st May) in the Church of St Mary and St John Ballincollig (P31 F677) followed by private cremation. Ballincollig is to receive an additional six social housing units on top of the 56 homes announced last week at Innishmore, but a local councillor has warned that additional parking must first be sorted. but a local councillor has warned that additional parking must first be sorted The latest planned development will be located at the entrance to Inniscarra View with one specifically designed for people with additional needs Fianna Fáil councillor and former lord mayor Colm Kelleher said the new development was good news for Ballincollig “This is on the site of an old cottage alongside the postbox between Inniscarra View and Rosewood Mr Kelleher said he and his fellow ward councillors say the planning application needed to be slightly altered in relation to parking “We raised our concerns with Cork City Council’s executive and the plans had been scheduled to be advertised but they have gone back now to see if more parking can be incorporated into them “Although it’s on a bus route and alongside a bus stop we just have to cater for all people who may become tenants in this much needed housing development,” he said Mr Kelleher said that once the parking concerns were addressed he was hopeful the development would go to Part 8 planning before it would go back to the council for approval The news comes after publication last week of a Part 8 planning notice for a social housing development of 56 homes for Ballincollig at the old Topps sweet factory site at Innishmore March 17th with a coffee truck on-site the event and half price shared sauna sessions all day which opened at Garrylucas Beach in Garretstown nearly three years ago Cork couple Stephen Forde and Jessica Linehan are building their wellness business with a custom sauna outdoor shower and seating area at the entrance to the Regional Park near the GAA grounds “We are absolutely over the moon to announce that we are officially opening our new location in Ballincollig on St Patrick’s Day (17th March).” the couple shared on Instagram “We have spent the last four months building this place ourselves and it’s surreal to finally be announcing the opening!” A post shared by The Sauna Snugg | Cork (@the_sauna_snugg_) “We are so excited to welcome everyone to our new place of relaxation and we hope you love it as much as we do!” Bookings are live now at €15 for a shared 45 minute session we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads may adversely affect certain features and functions Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes 1) 0ms,border-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-1sgza6o:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-1sgza6o:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-1sgza6o.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-w5p45x::-moz-focus-inner{border-style:none;}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{pointer-events:none;cursor:default;}@media print{.css-w5p45x{-webkit-print-color-adjust:exact;color-adjust:exact;}}.css-w5p45x:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-w5p45x:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 0.26);}PrintShareSaveThe death has occurred of beloved wife of Sean and loving mother of Ger and Marie Therese daughter of the late James and Mona Hourigan and sister of Mary Lying in repose at Crowley's Funeral Home, Ballincollig on Sunday (27th April) from 5pm followed by prayers at 6pm. Requiem Mass at 12 noon on Monday (28th April) in the Church of St Mary and St John, Ballincollig which can be viewed on https://www.churchservices.tv/stmjballincollig. Burial afterwards in St Oliver's Cemetery. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday, memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one. Shane Fitzgerald presents the Beamish Stout Junior Second Division trophy to Ringmahon Rangers captain Eoin Murphy after their win over Ballincollig on Sunday. A six-points haul from two wins over the weekend saw Ringmahon Rangers A claim the Beamish Stout Junior Second Division title Ringmahon beat local rivals Avondale United A 2-0 in Avondale Park on Friday evening to go seven points clear of Glasheen and secure promotion and they put the title beyond the reach of the second-placed outfit with a 5-0 win at home to Ballincollig on Sunday Ryan Keating had scored in Ringmahon’s win over Avondale two days earlier and after a scoreless first half the winger gave Ringmahon the lead early in the second half when he beat Evan Kiely in the Ballincollig goal Aaron Collins doubled Ringmahon’s lead just after the hour mark and Ringmahon were 3-0 ahead and well on their way victory a minute later when Dean McCarthy scored McCarthy got his second with 20 minutes remaining and substitute Dara Walsh completed the scoring 10 minutes later Ringmahon have now completed back-to-back league titles and they had one hand on the trophy following a fine performance over Avondale on Friday Ringmahon went at their opponents in Avondale Park from the start  and seven minutes in they had the first chance when Jack O’Riordan’s delivery into the penalty area was met by James Delany whose header was deflected for a corner From Keating’s flag kick the ball was punched clear as far as Luke O’Leary who fired over from 25 yards Delany then had a shot from just outside the box deflected for a corner and two minutes later Ringmahon got their reward for their early pressure when McCarthy turned the ball into the danger and Keating crashed it high into the net from eight yards Keating was a thorn in Avondale’s side throughout running at defenders and causing them all sorts of problems He came close to a second shortly after his opener when McCarthy played a terrific ball in from the left; Keating arrived on the right side of the penalty area Ringmahon continued to pour forward as Avondale struggled to make inroads one of five of Ringmahon’s double-winning U19 team on duty for the game played a measured ball wide on the left for O’Leary to run on to but his shot from the angle of the penalty area was batted away by Avondale keeper Luke Barry Avondale had their first effort on goal midway through the half a Rodhrai Crowley strike that was blocked by John Lynch in the Ringmahon goal Ringmahon continued to ask most of the questions though and a Keating corner was headed narrowly over by McCarthy while Keating did well again seven minutes leader cutting in from the right to release Delany and he fired narrowly over from a tight angle inside the right side the penalty area Ringmahon would have felt they could have been further ahead at half-time and they continued to press in the second half McCarthy did well to hold off his marker to win a dropping ball into the penalty area; he fed Heas to his right but Barry made another good block before pouncing on the loose ball The visitors did double their advantage on the hour mark when McCarthy did well to win a turnover 30 yards from goal he then raced on to the return pass into penalty area and slotted he ball past Barry but Ringmahon could have added to their tally Two minutes after their second Dara Walsh pulled a good ball back from the right for fellow sub Adam O’Callaghan who forced a good save from Barry while Alex Aherne had a good strike from 25 yards drift narrowly wide after good play on the left though and five more at Ringmahon Park on Sunday sealed their title triumph with the club’s premier side currently on course to retaining their league crown more Cork Soccer articles with cute sauna nooks popping up all over the city and county the latest of which will be launching soon in Ballincollig The folks behind the Sauna Snugg are busy working on a new location in the town “It gives us immense pleasure to finally be able to share our big news for the very near future with you!” Cork couple Stephen Forde and Jessica Linehan announced on their Instagram feed A post shared by The Sauna Snugg | Cork (@the_sauna_snugg_) “Our plans that have been in the pipeline for over a year have finally come to fruition and over the last few weeks we have been working hard in the background to bring a brand new public wellness facility to Cork city in the beautiful town of Ballincollig.” “We will be announcing the exact location really soon and sharing updates of what we have done to date with some exciting reels that will bring you along with us Keep an eye on their socials for news on the opening date peacefully at Marymount University Hospital and Hospice Taking flight in the early morning sunlight at a frosty Regional Park, Ballincollig. beside the eastern entrance to the regional park local residents Mabel Hernandez and Eithne Lynch met with Maria Young while on a biodiversity course in Ballincollig Regional Park and agreed that a biodiversity centre was needed They applied to Cork City Council for use of the old Powdermills Visitor Centre The building is beside the eastern entrance to the park and it now houses the biodiversity hub Ms Lynch said they hoped that the biodiversity hub would benefit the park and the local community “It is the perfect time to establish a centre like this when so many people are concerned about climate change and loss of habitats and biodiversity,” Ms Lynch said Ms Hernandez said the hub would be a venue for talks and workshops for schools where an understanding of the value of nature and the environment could be fostered and where ideas and projects for the preservation of nature could be explored and enacted “This location provides the perfect blend of open-air classroom in the park and an indoor space dedicated to workshops centred around biodiversity and sustainability,” Dr Hernandez said The first talk is planned for 7pm this Thursday and will feature ornithologist and broadcaster Jim Wilson who many will know from Mooney Goes Wild and the annual RTÉ dawn chorus broadcast His topic will be the winter birds of County Cork and all are welcome with Lord Mayor Dan Boyle clipping the ribbon on the relaunched business Proprietor Michael Maguire has four decades of experience in hairdressing having worked for years with D’arcy’s D2 hairdressing Mr Maguire told The Echo he knows what he would be doing if he wasn’t in the business Michael’s team has between them over 150 years of experience meaning the business has “the same trusted hands The official opening of M&Co will begin at 3pm on Saturday The 2025 Darkness into Light (DiL) event in Ballincollig will take place at 4.15am on Saturday DiL saw tens of thousands of people take part in pre-dawn events across the country and across the world and most took the form of walks aimed at raising funds for the suicide and self-harm prevention charity Pieta Fifty-one new walks were held in Ireland last year and they raised an incredible €37,655 for Pieta the village will be looking at that figure as the target to beat Pieta provides 24/7 support via the freephone crisis helpline on 1800 247 247 Ballincollig’s Alzheimer’s Café is open from 3pm this Thursday The café takes place on the third Thursday of each month and provides a safe space to sit down and have a chat The café is a way to meet others who have dementia and to meet health and social-care professionals or email Karen at ballincolligalzheimercafe@alzheimer.ie the Ballincollig Resource Centre is to host a visit from the Marie Keating mobile unit All are welcome to speak with one of the nurses the Marie Keating Foundation promotes life-saving messages on cancer prevention and early detection There are still a few places left for the final session of the Ballincollig Family Resource Centre’s Health and Wellness workshop with nutritional therapist and health and wellness coach Jennifer O’Callaghan Attendees are invited to discuss nutrition The group will be client led; anything can be discussed The remaining workshop session is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 10.30am in Ballincollig Family Resource Centre Anyone interested is asked to register by emailing info@ballincolligfrc.org or by calling 021 4876295 Ballincollig Family Resource Centre hosts a walk-and-talk group Starting at 10am at the resource centre reception area and welcomes people of all levels of fitness with a focus each week on social interaction The numbers drawn in this week’s Ballincollig GAA Club lottery While there was no winner of the €8,200 jackpot there were three consolation prize winners €50 to Ger McSweeney and €50 to Pat Conway The club is migrating its lottery from its previous host to its platform ClubZap The new system mirrors the previous one and is played with 36 numbers and all players with remaining credit have been moved across with their same numbers The next draw is scheduled to place on Thursday evening A Cork auctioneer says that people are being priced out of areas such as Ballincollig, as the latest Daft.ie report shows that Cork city prices are continuing to rise. as the latest Daft.ie report shows that Cork city prices are continuing to rise the average price is slightly lower at €307,521 7.4% from a year ago and 36.2% from before the pandemic there were fewer than 2,500 second-hand homes for sale in Munster and less than one third of the 2015-2019 average of Ballincollig-based O’Mahony Walsh Property said that they are definitely seeing these increases on the ground He said properties requiring significant work might take time to sell but anything ready for occupation is off the market very fast Ballincollig is affected by not only the national trend of rising prices but increases due to being included as part of Cork city rather than county since 2019 leaving many who grew up there priced out of the area “We’d see them bidding on three or four different houses for a few months; they’ve got their budget and someone else keeps topping it,” said Mr O’Regan “These are really nice people with good jobs They should be in position to buy a good house Mr O’Regan said some people can get angry at him and his colleagues so I understand the stress people are under,” he said Ballincollig put in their worst performance of the season when they were well beaten by Bright St Vincents in a Domino’s Men’s Super League encounter at the MTU Arena they'll probably need to beat Templeogue away next weekend to even make the playoffs Their performance on both sides of the floor was very disappointing in the opening two quarters as they trailed by seven points at the half All season they have been excellent defensively but they were disjointed They were also very predictable offensively which Vincent's took full advantage of with their big 3-2 zone defence Another big issue in the first 20 minutes was the lack of scoring from their two American players Quashawn Lane only registering five and Jake Wolf two It was a struggle in the second half too but take nothing away from Vincents as they battled for every possession to come away with a vital victory Ballincollig raced into an 8-0 lead with an effort beyond the arc from Ciaran O’Sullivan an offensive tip by Joshua Tomaic and a power mover to the basket by Sean McManus with a big three from Charlie Coombes and a lay-up by Isiah Gaiter but another big three from Ciaran O’Sullivan followed by a basket from Ronan O’Sullivan gave the home side a 26-21 lead Picture: Larry CumminsThe Dublin side made a bright start to the second quarter with two short jumpers from Giorgi Tvalabeishvili and when Jaron Thames made a stunning move to the basket they led for the first time with a Luke O’Sullivan three and a short jumper Vincent’s finished the quarter punishing the Ballincollig defence with big three-pointers from Coombes and Eoin McCann: 52-45 Tvalabeishvili gave Vincent's the perfect start to the third quarter with two buckets inside the paint followed by a pair of foul shots by McCann to lead 59-45 forcing the hosts into a timeout The body language was alarming as they were out-worked on their own boards and trailed 69-47 midway through the quarter They did rally with efforts beyond the arc from Wolfe and Lane to trail 74-57 foul shots by Dorian Lagoeyte and a huge three Gaiter gave the visitors a 80-57 lead entering the final period McManus gave Ballincollig a glimmer of hope with a basket through traffic but two poor turnovers gave Vincent's two breakaway lay-ups: 84-59 Vincent's superbly managed the remainder of the game and richly deserved their victory that could see them keep their Super League status for next season more Cork Basketball articles Bandon are through to the third round of the Beamish Stout Junior Super Cup following their 2-0 win over Ballincollig at The Landing Field on Saturday A goal in each half from Brian O’Donoghue and Jack L’Estange helped the third division visitors to victory over their higher-ranked opponents Taking bigger scalps hasn’t been unusual for Bandon this season — they reached the semi-final of the Junior League Cup beating higher-ranked sides Avondale United A and Lakewood Athletic on their way to the semi-final where they lost to Midleton and that early cup run was reflected in the league table with six wins and two draws from their opening eight games in the league but recent league results haven’t been great with just one win since the turn of the year and they currently sit in sixth position in the table Ballincollig operate in the second division and are also sixth in the table seven points outside of the promotion places but they have plenty of games in hand on all of the teams above them in the table Despite both sides being short a few regulars Ballincollig would have still been favourites in this contest and they started well with regular marksman Mark O’Keeffe forcing Bandon keeper Cian Jacob into a save for a corner inside the opening 10 minutes Two minutes later Jacob easily dealt with a Stephen Linehan free kick from 25 yards It was the visitors who broke the deadlock however; a surging break from midfield by Chinaza Ogwudiegwu came to a halt when he was fouled on the left side of the penalty area and O’Donoghue’s free kick sailed over Ballincollig goalkeeper Matthew Thompson’s head and into the far top corner of the net Ballincollig tried for a quick response and O’Keeffe had another effort in the box saved by Jacob for a corner and from the flag kick John Corkery’s header was cleared off the line with the help of the underside of the crossbar amid Collig claims that the ball had crossed the line Ballincollig’s Stephen Murray picked up a pass wide on the left and headed for goal but his shot from outside the box flew high and wide Bandon weren’t without their chances and six minutes later Darragh Collins-O’Brien got on the end of a corner from the left at the far post but Shane Finn made a good block on his goalbound shot As the minutes ticked away in the first half the visitors’ Eoin Buckley had a snap-shot in the box go wide as Bandon went in at the break with a narrow lead The West Cork side got a fantastic start to the second period and doubled their advantage five minutes in A ball in behind the home defence saw Thompson advance to intervene but L’Estrange won the race for the ball and knocked it past the keeper before firing into an empty net despite pressure from  defender Kenneth Murphy The home side had it all to do but still had enough time to recover but Bandon’s defence stood firm with Player of the Match Brian McSweeney making an excellent challenge on O’Keeffe inside the penalty area as the striker lined up a shot Ballincollig continued to press and James O’Mahony fired over from 25 yards on 65 minutes and 10 minutes later O’Keeffe got in behind the Bandon defence after a delivery from the left; Jacob left his line and the Collig man lifted the ball over the keeper taking advantage of a poor kickout by Jacob his shot was blocked by Bandon defender Collins O’Brien Cian Dorgan in action for Ballincollig against Cill na Martra last year Ballincollig are firmly in the promotion conversation in the McCarthy Insurance Group Division 2 Football League following an important win in Round 4 Podsie O'Mahony's team defeated Dohenys on home soil last Thursday on a scoreline of 0-18 to 1-12 The Muskerry side trailed by three points with 12 minutes remaining the Collig prevailed by a three-point margin to move on to five points Dorgan landed 0-9 (1 2pt) for the green and white Castletownbere registered their first points of the season as they saw off Fermoy down on the Beara Peninsula Gary Murphy was the main man for the winners with the forward finishing up with 1-8 (3 2pt) Declan Dunne was the other goal scorer for the Town Gary Murphy kicked 1-8 in Castletownbere's big win over Fermoy Picture: Anne Marie Cronin Photography Goals from David Shannon Niall Daly and Brian Crowley proved crucial as O’Donovan Rossa won away at Kanturk The Skibbereen team now have four points with Kanturk two points behind Home side Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh recorded a big 2-18 to 0-12 victory over Knocknagree The Muskerry outfit move on to five points with Donagh Shorten the top scorer here after slotting over 0-7 Matt O’Riordan and Seán Ó Luasa bagged the goals Goalkeeper Barra Ó Súilleabháin made four point-blank saves to make sure the Gaeltacht side kept a clean sheet Knocknagree suffer dropped points for the first time this year Carbery Rangers are the sole leaders of the second-tier after an eight-point win over Valley Rovers Report on that game is attached at the start of this article leaders Iveleary have maintained their strong start following a 3-10 to 2-8 away win at Bishopstown Barry Oldham’s side led by three points at the break and pushed on in the second half to move on to seven points Brian Cuthbert’s Bishopstown have now only picked up a point in their last three games as the early pace setters have five points but have played an extra game than the teams around them Aghada remain without any points following a heavy 3-20 to 2-8 home loss to Kiskeam Anthony Dennehy hit 2-2 for the Duhallow side while Adrian Carroll was effective with 0-6 Thomas Casey landed 1-2 for a team who have played just three games Conor O’Keeffe scored a late free as Newmarket beat home team Mallow Another team who are on four points are Naomh Abán They lost away to Clyda Rovers who rise to second following a 3-7 to 0-13 triumph over the Ballyvourney men Conor O'Keeffe was the hero for Newmarket in their late win over Mallow Picture: Eddie O'HareFinally from the third-tier Kilshannig recovered from being nine points down to eke out a 0-18 to 2-10 away win over Rockchapel There was a standout result down the grades with St Nick’s 0-11 to 0-9 win over Canovee from Division 6 Canovee had a +71 scoring difference coming into this one in Cloughduv and were looking unstoppable but the Blackpool-based team were inspired by Jack O’Sullivan who finished with 0-5 (0-4 f) Dean Brosnan and James Murphy pointed once Both teams are now level on six points with Kildorrery the leaders on eight points MCCARTHY INSURANCE GROUP FOOTBALL LEAGUE RESULTS  Division 1: Éire Óg 0-14 Nemo Rangers 2-13; Douglas 1-12 St Michael’s 0-12; Carrigaline 1-16 St Finbarr’s 0-22; Clonakilty 3-9 Newcestown 2-9 Division 2: Ballincollig 0-18 Dohenys 1-12; Castletownbere 2-16 Fermoy 0-12; Carbery Rangers 1-16 Valley Rovers 1-8; Beál Átha’n Ghaorthaidh 2-18 Knocknagree 0-12; Kanturk 0-17 O’Donovan Rossa 3-10 Division 3: Rockchapel 2-10 Kilshannig 0-18; Aghada 2-8 Kiskeam 3-20; Mallow 1-15 Newmarket 0-19; Clyda Rovers 3-7 Naomh Abán 0-13; Bishopstown 2-8 Iveleary 3-10 Division 4: Bandon 1-20 Buttevant 2-14; Bantry Blues 2-10 Nemo Rangers 0-14; St Vincent’s 0-7 Adrigole 3-17 Division 5: Ballinora 1-14 Kilmurry 4-13; Kinsale 4-14 Mitchelstown 2-13; Glenville 2-9 Ilen Rovers 0-16 Division 6: Na Piarsaigh 1-9 Kildorrery 1-11; Canovee 0-9 St Nick’s 0-11; Mayfield 4-6 St Michael’s 4-15; Dromtarriffe 1-17 Cullen 2-14; Cobh 2-12 Aghinagh 0-7 Division 7: Kilmacabea 1-20 Ballygarvan 0-14; St James’ 1-10 Inniscarra 1-12; Ballyhooly 0-8 Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels 1-18; Argideen Rangers 2-10 Urhan 2-7; Nemo Rangers 1-11 Castlemagner 1-11 seen here in action against Inniscarra in 2023 was in good form as Ballincollig beat Valley Rovers in Division 2 of the RedFM Hurling League Brian Keating scored eight points as Ballincollig came from behind against Valley Rovers to make it two straight wins in Division 2 of the RedFM Hurling League The Good Friday clash finished 1-18 to 0-14 in favour of the home side with Adam Wills contributing four points for Ballincollig Valleys had made all the early running in tricky conditions and were up 0-7 to 0-3 after 20 minutes with Adam Kenneally and Cormac Desmond causing problems inside while former inter-county player Chris O'Leary was using his size and power impressively The hosts got on top coming up to half-time though with Conor Dalton and Pete Kelly's points giving them a 0-8 to 0-7 advantage with Colm Butler spot-on from distance for Valleys with Conor O'Leary and David O'Sullivan hurling well across the half-back line Rovers keeper Joe Lynch made some smart stops before subs Darragh O'Mahony and Mark Oldham combined for a late goal to secure their second league win Above front from left: Ann-Marie O’Sullivan, AM O’Sullivan PR; March Cork Person of the Month Tom Butler; Oonagh Buckley, Masterkabin; back from left: Clara O’Mahony, AM O’Sullivan PR; Louise McNamara, Metropole Hotel; Manus O’Callaghan, Cork Person of the Year Awards Organiser, at the Metropole Hotel. culminating last year in its declaration as Ireland’s tidiest town Tom Butler was asked to babysit Ballincollig Tidy Towns (BTT) for three months little realising he would still be chairing the group 26 years later but in his time it has improved the community of Ballincollig immeasurably Ballincollig has thrived in the national Tidy Towns competition and has set a benchmark for sustainability Ballincollig was crowned the National SuperValu TidyTowns winner and also won the prestigious title of Ireland’s tidiest large urban centre and secured a gold medal in recognition of its achievement With BTT celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025 Mr Butler continues to lead efforts to ensure Ballincollig remains at the forefront of environmental sustainability Mr Butler said being part of Ballincollig’s community efforts to become a tidier town has been a great privilege we have turned small actions into big changes and I’m excited to see what more we can achieve in the years ahead.” organiser Manus O’Callaghan said Mr Butler embodied the essence of community spirit and leadership “His unwavering dedication to the betterment of Ballincollig and his passion for the environment are truly inspiring,” he said “Tom’s efforts have not only transformed Ballincollig but they have also left a lasting legacy for other communities to emulate Mr Butler’s name will now be added to the list of monthly winners and will go forward for consideration for the title of Cork Person of the Year at the annual gala awards lunch on January 23 Ballincollig celebrate their U15 Premier 1 double after beating Glanmire at Bishopstown A week on from their outstanding win over Sarsfields in the P1 U15 hurling decider Ballincollig have secured the double with victory over Glanmire Their P1 U15 Football Championship title win certainly wasn’t as surprising or as dominant as the hurling counterpart but Ballincollig were full value for their victory in Bishopstown on Saturday as they defeated many of the same players from the win over Sars While Glanmire were first to split the posts with 35 seconds elapsed within six minutes of that initial strike Ballincollig had taken the lead It wasn’t always comfortable though – with Glanmire hanging on just 1-5 to 0-3 behind with the final 10 minutes to play They had remained competitive in the second half but when Aaron O’Sullivan was dealt a second yellow card with 53 minutes gone Picture: Jim Coughlan.Points from Joe Miskella and Ben Farrell edged Ballincollig seven clear with only four to go Glanmire’s Eoin Considine went for goal from a close range free with 90 seconds to go and while his strike was powerful it was too high and went between the posts who had put in a storming performance for Ballincollig – restored the seven point lead deep in added time with an effort from play He wasn’t the only one to stand out for the Village though as they claimed their fourth football county title in a row Eanna Lynch and Daithí Murphy were outstanding in the wing back positions for Ballincollig moving the ball well and creating space for their forwards As they ventured up the field James Harrington did a stellar job in covering the empty space and made the difference alongside Miskella Picture: Jim Coughlan.While scores were sparse in the early stages the Village received a big boost when Jack Costello set up Bobby Power and the centre forward’s placed his turning strike brilliantly into the corner of the net after seven minutes before an outrageous effort from Miskella moments later sailed between the uprights Tom Huggins ended a 25 minute scoreless spell for Glanmire on 26 but they weren’t able to build on it and so the score remained 1-3 to 0-2 for the rest of the half Both sides would remain scoreless until the 41st minute of the second period when Costello kicked over a neat team move for the eventual winners – moving them five points clear At the beginning of the final quarter Donagh Healy converted a free for the Glanmire but the Muskerry side responded immediately through Miskella’s own placed ball They couldn’t get the gap to within a goal and the dismissal of O’Sullivan late on was the killer blow Picture: Jim Coughlan.Both Considine and Tom Huggins had done well defensively but anytime Considine kicked the ball into space Glanmire’s forwards were unable to take their scoring opportunities A man short to go with the five point deficit – it was only going to go one way more #Gaelic Football articles Ballincollig's Cal McCarthy shoots as Midleton's Patrick Spelman chases in their P1 U15 HC semi-final in Bishopstown Ballincollig put on a stellar showing to defeat Midleton and secure a Premier 1 U15 HC final clash with Sars Goals do win games – but there was so much more at play in the Village’s win over Midleton in Bishopstown on Saturday The inside threat of Cal McCarthy and Daithí Murphy supplemented by their star performer Bobby Power saw the Muskerry side turn a seven-point deficit after 15 minutes into a five-point victory over the next 45 Joe Miskella and James Harrington stood out in the second half but it was the efforts of the entire 15 that got Ballincollig over the line A blitz of three goals across a nine minute spell had Ballincollig in front on the eve of half Midleton did eventually draw level after 41 minutes A score from McCarthy preceded two frees from Power and suddenly Ballincollig were three points to the good with a quarter to go The difference could have been doubled had Power’s quick thinking paid off as he played a quick free to the wide open third midfielder of Éanna Ó hUrnaí Midleton's Finn Cahill looks to clear downfield ahead of Ballincollig's Evan Stack.It served as a desperately needed wake up call for the Magpies Breaninn O’Dalaigh set up Ciaran Kelly for a point – before the centre-back returned the favour 60 seconds later That brought the lead to the minimum before Miskella took flight in the 54th minute while McCarthy and Jack Costello added scores to leave it 3-12 to 0-17 going into additional time With the clock winding down and the four point deficit becoming a point of no return – Midleton went goal hunting Their opponents defended well – though one pulled chance from Rian McCormack could have slipped through were it not for a brilliant save from Kaden Coomey A deserved win for Ballincollig but a bitterly disappointing result for Midleton – especially given the fast start Within 10 minutes they had eased to a 0-6 to 0-1 advantage The forwards were creating space and creating problems John O’Sullivan looked the likeliest goal threat inside while Finn Cahill and Liam Walsh were most effective in chance creation and Ballincollig needed a stopper as they trailed by seven Midleton's Liam Walsh gets to the sliotar ahead of Ballincollig's Éanna Lynch.They found one after 19 minutes with Shay O’Brien dropping the ball into Power who volleyed it in from close range to reduce to gap to three with their first score from play Walsh and O’Sullivan got Midleton four in front Éanna Lynch set up Murphy for a thunderous strike across goal while the third green flag arrived two minutes later courtesy of McCarthy’s brilliant finish but they would fight back to draw level after 33 minutes thanks to two frees from Walsh – who finished with seven scores from seven shots Ballincollig's James Harrington goes high to catch the sliotar ahead of Midleton's Alfie Hennessy and Liam Walsh.Unfortunately for the Magpies as Costello grew into the game so too did the rest of Ballincollig’s defence and they shut down Midleton’s offensive output Victory for this Ballincollig group over Midleton for the first time since the two had met at U12 Redemption for final defeats at U13 and U14 more #Cork - Sport articles Ballincollig captain Cal McCarthy and players celebrate after defeating Sarsfields Ballincollig were simply dominant from start to finish Their use of the wind ensured a staggering half time lead of 21 points as they were simply far too good for Sarsfields in their P1 U15 Hurling Championship final who were without two key U16 starters in Cuan McMahon and Alex Maher were far from their best in Bishopstown on Saturday made sure Sars could not play to that level making life incredibly difficult for their opponents Like in their semi-final win over Midleton the Village’s rampant first half start saw several goals fired in It very quickly became all too much for Sars After just six minutes Ballincollig led 2-2 to no score By the time Sars did get off the mark through Tom Huggins in the 11th minute Ballincollig's Daithí Murphy is fouled by Sarsfields' Adam Byrne Picture: Eddie O'HareIt merely set the tone for what was to come as they made light work of their opponents That first goal arrived just over 70 seconds into the game when Daithí Murphy’s strike was denied by Cormac McCarthy only for Cal McCarthy to knock home the follow up Murphy then assisted Eanna Lynch for their second point and three minutes later McCarthy provided Evan Stack with the opportunity to go through on goal The response to Sars opening effort was an additional 1-4 Stack and Joe Miskella combining for the latter’s point while Lynch and Power added two more scores Power then hit Sars for 1-1 with an outstanding strike from distance that flew into the back of the net before Miskella set him up for another white flag a minute later presents the trophy to Ballincollig captain Cal McCarthy Picture: Eddie O'HareA free from Tom Hurley on 26 minutes marked only Sars’ second point of the game but again Ballincollig replied with another haul Costello and Miskella with the points – before Miskella’s short point attempt caught out Cal McCarthy They improved against the wind but remained second best – and Power was still well able to convert from placed balls despite the tricky conditions He finished with four of their seven second half scores While both Donagh Healy and Hurley hit Sars’ third and fourth points they had gone the first 13 minutes of the second period without raising any flag Sarsfields' Eoin Considine clears from Ballincollig's Bobby Power brought the gap down to the same half time deficit – 21 points There was very little they could do going forward as Ballincollig were so sharp defensively with both James Harrington and Luke Higgins impressive A couple of frees from Power stretched the Ballincollig lead out to 23 with 11 minutes to go The difference between the teams remained the same at the final whistle as Ballincollig pulled off yet another impressive victory over a favoured opposition more #Hurling articles Ballincollig’s Jake Wolf defends against Neptune’s ChancePHunter in Neptune Stadium A buzzer-beating three-pointer from Chance Hunter gave Energywise Ireland Neptune a superb win over local rivals Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig in the Men’s Super League at the Neptune Stadium It proved a great evening for Neptune’s new American signing Tamyrik Fields who finished as Man of the Match with a 29-point tally The starting five on both sides were unusual as we had O’Sullivan brothers on each team Darragh and Conor against Adrian and Ciarán as Neptune’s new recruit Fields hit with a stunning three-pointer in the second minute Fields had nine of Neptune’s opening 17 points but Ballincollig were staying the pace with Wolfe bringing the sides on parity in the sixth minute The home team at one stage had a six-point lead but when coach Price brought in fresh faces Ballincollig took advantage and raced into a four-point lead In fairness both sides kept battling hard and roaring opening quarter Neptune led 30-28 entering the second period Adrian O’Sullivan gave Ballincollig the perfect start with a neat drive to the hoop but Fields followed up with consecutive baskets Neptune now looked the team in the ascendancy and they extended their lead to 10 points in the 14th minute following yet another Fields basket The visitors looked a side on the ropes and with four minutes remaining they extended their lead to 13 points as Ballincollig’s defence looked all at sea Ballincollig’s Sean McManus looks for an opening against Neptune Picture: Chani AndersonCredit to Ballincollig’s American Jake Wolfe he plays hard and his energy witnessed by his visiting parents kept his side in the game Some of the calls made and missed by the three officials in the first half were baffling but they did add to the entertainment Darragh O’Sullivan turned the ball over with a minute remaining and after Ballincollig scored he then broke the end line inbounding the ball A Ballincollig time-out with 24.5 seconds remaining but they lost possession on the restart after just six seconds but Neptune failed to take advantage and went in at the break commanding a 54-48 lead Neptune’s Tamyrik Fields has eyes on Ballincollig’s defence in Neptune Stadium Picture: Chani AndersonCiaran O’Sullivan drained a three-pointer and consecutive baskets helped Ballincollig lead by the minimum in the opening minute with Neptune calling a time-out Fields produced a basket with Joshua Tomaic responding with a similar bucket that tied the game The game remained tight up to the closing minute and a late Quashawn Lane shot outside the arc gave Ballincollig a five-point lead entering the final quarter Cian Heaphy gave Neptune hope with a three-pointer in their opening possession and they edged into a 76-74 lead following a Nil Sabata basket Roy Downey nailed a crucial three midway through the quarter that surged Neptune into a three-point lead but Wolfe responded with a basket and bonus The sides were still tied at 89 points each with 22.4 seconds remaining when Neptune called a time-out with possession We then witnessed Hunter’s last-gasp shot that kept the bragging rights at Blackpool Ballincollig captain David O'Sullivan and players celebrate after defeating Éire Óg Ballincollig were crowned Farho U21A Hurling champions after a comfortable win over neighbours Éire Óg at Ballyanly on Sunday A two-goal burst from Brian Keating and Cian O’Driscoll early in the second half proved decisive for a third Muskerry title in a row They had some big performances too from Brian Dore James Dwyer and Tadhg O'Connell but really upped the ante overall in the second period Next up is a county quarter-final against Shandrum with the winners meeting St Finbarr's and Derry Casey of Farho present the trophy to Ballincollig captain David O'Sullivan Picture: Eddie O'HareBallincollig’s Pete Kelly registered the opening score of this local derby with a fine individual score Éire Óg played all the hurling in the opening quarter and Danny Healy rattled the net with an excellent goal O’Connell clipped over a point for Ballincollig but the Ovens outfit replied with a fine point score from the lively David Casey Éire Óg were sharper early on and two placed efforts from David Casey and a super point from full-forward Sean Hurley ensured they led by 1-5 to 0-4 after 14 minutes Ballincollig’s Dillon Horgan landed a good score but Hurley cancelled it out with another well-taken point Brian Keating clipped over a free and set up Sean O’Neill for a tap-over score from another placed effort which reduced the gap to two points Éire Óg’s David Casey was clinical from placed efforts and two more scores stretched their lead Ballincollig were now warming to the task and the lively O’Neill was denied a certain goal by an excellent save from Éire Óg’s goalkeeper Michael Brennan Another Casey free put five between the sides but four points with reply from Dore Ballincollig looked a different team and points from Keating and Tadgh O’Connell set the tone Moments later Cian O’Driscoll rattled the net after an excellent defensive clearance from Dore A second Ballincollig goal followed within a minute as Brian Keating buried to the net after slipping inside the Éire Óg defence after picking up an excellent pass from Ronan Power Ballincollig's Brian Keating celebrates his goal Picture: Eddie O'HareBallincollig completely dominated the third quarter and points from Keating Ciaran Buckley left nine points between the sides Ballincollig’s Keating added another brace and O’Neill added his fourth from play to put the result beyond doubt Éire Óg’s Daniel Healy scored his second goal which in truth was a consolation score Ballincollig’s Eoin Dwyer landed a beauty from play and followed it with a fine long-range free Ballincollig's Pete Kelly racing away from Éire Óg's Brian Thompson and Adam McCarthy Picture: Eddie O'HareThe game petered out in the closing minutes and Éire Óg’s Colm Clifford received a red card for a wild pull E O’Shea; A McCarthy D Clifford; J McCarthy won the Mid Cork U21 C title on Saturday afternoon in Ballinora with a strong finish against Inniscarra The Ballincollig U21 hurling team that won the Muskerry C title against Inniscarra.Jack Murray and Darragh Keohane were their top scorers Tadhg Murphy and Theo Morgan also raising white flags Jack Murphy and Kevin O'Leary also made telling contributions Stacey Machesney, Irish Life (left) with Professor Niall Moyna and Irish Life ambassador, Aoibhin Garrihy (right), pictured at the launch of the Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Every Step Counts Challenge 2023. The challenge which runs from the 11th of January to 15th of February is the nation’s largest steps challenge.  Pic. Robbie Reynolds and Camogie are again this year taking part in Ireland Lights Up and the Irish Life Healthy Clubs Every Step Counts Challenge Ireland Lights Up will commence tomorrow evening but those interested in participating are advised to check Ballincollig GAA Club’s social media accounts in advance The weekly event is scheduled to run for six weeks with the walk starting each Wednesday evening from pitch four at Ballincollig GAA and it will proceed along Old Fort Road and back along Main Street coffee and fruit will be provided in the club bar afterwards and sponsorship is being provided by SOS Binding and Quish’s SuperValu Running at the same time every week will be the Irish Life Every Step Counts Challenge go to https://tinyurl.com/2r64vn9x sign up to the 2025 challenge The challenge offers participants the chance to win a share of €30,000 in club funding who is part of Ballincollig GAA’s Healthy Club committee explained that the initiative grew out of the old Operation Transformation challenge and it is open to all This is the third year the club has hosted this event and Mr Hayes said he was hopeful that this year might see an increase on the numbers that attended the walk each week last year “It’s a nice opportunity to meet people and do something healthy for the new year so we’re really hoping to get a good turnout “We’re very grateful to Quish’s SuperValu for sponsoring the fruit for everyone participating and to SOS Binding for sponsoring the hi-vis jackets,” he said Ballincollig Parkrun is set to return for the new year once the weather gets back to a more even keel Parkrun offers a great opportunity to get outside learn new skills and to be a valued part of the local community on a weekly basis who also scan barcodes and ensure route safety Organisers say that if anyone wants to do a particular volunteer role please let them know and they will try to accommodate If you would like to get involved in Ballincollig Parkrun please email ballincollig@parkrun.com with your name and number and mention the role in which you would like to participate The 15th Annual Ballincollig Winter Music Festival will feature double headline acts Clare Sands They will play The White Horse at 8.30pm on Saturday Blarney native Clare Sands needs little introduction to Cork music fans The Breath is Manchester-based guitarist Stuart McCallum and singer/flautist Ríoghnach Connolly They met on the city’s gig circuit in the late noughties and formed The Breath in 2016 a singer-songwriter duo to present their take on alt-folk Stephanie Keane hails from Limerick where she began her Irish Dancing journey at the age of four She later relocated to east Clare where she fell in love with the Sean Nós style of dancing developing a unique style of percussive dance Regatta Ireland is seeking a supervisor to join its team in Regatta Great Outdoors in Ballincollig Anyone interested is asked to drop a cv into the store or apply online The company says applicants must be fully flexible A timely reminder that Ballincollig FET Centre is starting some new computer courses for January The centre will also have a Level 3 Art and Design class and a new course ‘Living Your Best Life’ (QQI L3 Personal Effectiveness) and an introductory course in Environmental Sustainability Awareness The centre is also bringing back some of its popular six-week taster courses in Creative Writing These courses will run alongside the centre’s longer introductory courses in Conversational Irish and Irish and Modern History The centre will also offer courses in Smartphone Content Creation For further information, see fetchcourses.ie. Ballincollig GAA Club has announced that it is migrating its club lottery from its previous host to its club platform ClubZap Club chairperson Donal Hannigan told The Echo that club members had become familiar with ClubZap over the past 12 months “Which means that transitioning our lotto on this platform makes sense as users can now purchase lotto tickets from the app directly,” he said “It’s also a much simpler format — it doesn’t require a user to register an account and log in - you simply add your email address to play.” He added that the new lotto system mirrors the previous one in that it is played with 36 numbers and all existing players with remaining credit have been moved across from the previous system with their same numbers plus their remaining credits all players will receive an email to remind them to renew their subscription to new platform on Clubzap,” he said pubs and club remain the same and all new players simply play on the ClubZap app With the club’s lottery jackpot at €20,000 the draw is now at the highest amount it can reach and must be won There was no winner drawn in the final draw of 2024 and consolation prizes went to: Tim Kelleher The second jackpot continues to increase by €200 weekly and currently stands at €7,600 The lottery is currently taking a two-week break with the next draw scheduled to place later this week For details on how to enter the club’s weekly draw Ballincollig may not have been quite basking in autumnal sunshine on Friday afternoon but there was no mistaking the warm glow enveloping the town as news broke that the once country village turned commuter suburb of Cork City had been declared Ireland’s tidiest town Very much a mix of the old and the new with the northern side of the town only being developed following the closure of Murphy Army Barracks in 1998 there was no doubting the delight and pride among its 19,000 inhabitants as the news spread along the beech-lined main street Leaf and Bower bookshop owner Fiona Farrell had just heard the news and was delighted for TidyTowns committee chairman Tom Butler and in particular volunteer Kitty O’Callagan and Cork City Council street cleaner “I meet Kitty every morning – she’s a volunteer and she’s here every morning They are a fabulous group because they are constantly working,” she said Ballincollig became part of Cork City when the city boundary was extended in 2019 and among the first to congratulate Tom Butler and his team were Lord Mayor of Cork Dan Boyle and Cork City Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan “Huge congratulations to Ballincollig Tidy Towns This award and their ongoing work is a testament to their fantastic community spirit and great pride of place which is evident for all to see in Ballincollig,” said Ms O’Sullivan traffic warden Michael Hegarty told how when he first arrived in Ballincollig [ TidyTowns 2024: Full list of winners as Ballincollig in Co Cork claims top prizeOpens in new window ] “I’ve been here during the boom and the recession – through the good times and the bad times and I’ve seen the great work done by Tom Butler and his team. They are like a family here and Ballincollig would not be the town it is but for them – it owes them a huge debt.” Just off Main Street, Joanne Sheahan, whose family have run The Fry chipper for almost 40 years, was thrilled for all involved, pointing out that unlike many towns that sadly show the signs of business closures, Main Street remains in spruce condition. Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC Ballincollig's Brian Dore and Carrigaline's Rob O'Shea tussle for the sliotar during the Co-Op Superstores Premier IHC semi-final at Ballygarvan Carrigaline are through to the Co-op SuperStores Premier IHC final after edging out Ballincollig in Ballygarvan A collective effort got this over the line for Eddie Murphy’s team with Brian Kelleher scoring 0-9 and Rhys McCarthy hit 1-3 with the goal in the 36th minute crucial in stopping growing Collig momentum They will now face the winners of Mallow and Watergrasshill in the final with their game scheduled for next weekend Ballincollig will look on with regret after qualifying automatically for the semi-finals Danny Dwyer’s side were led by Steve Wills Carrigaline just dominated every position and they responded to Cian O’Driscoll’s opener by rattling off 0-3 with Brian Kelleher getting a brace and Rob O’Shea raised a solo white flag Pearse Morris goaled from the edge of the square in the 6th minute and it was 1-1 to 0-3 Brian Kelleher ensured parity and Brian Keating put his club in front for the final time at 1-2 to 0-4 Ballincollig's Colin Moore is tackled by Carrigaline's Ronan Kelleher Picture: Eddie O'HareCarrigaline then put over 0-8 Brian Kelleher and Rhys McCarthy got two each during that run with the rest of the scores coming from Ciaran Kearney Steve Wills ended that burst by making the scoreboard read 0-12 to 1-3 and Eanna Desmond retaliated for Carrigaline A hat-trick from Steve Wills and a single white flag by David O’Sullivan helped their cause but they still trailed 0-14 to 1-7 at the break Carrigaline only hit 1-5 during the second half with the vital crucial score being Rhys McCarthy’s goal after a scramble around the square That made it 1-15 to 1-9 but crucially Kelleher kept the scoreboard ticking for Carrigaline Steve Wills struck 0-5 during the same period as Carrigaline had to deal with the late dismissal of Drake instead there an abundance of wides for both clubs Ballincollig could only get as close as one point their season ended by the smallest of margins after they missed a late chance to force extra time knitters and crafters of Cork.Previously located in Ballinspittle much-loved hobby shop Olga’s Own Craft Studio has relocated to a new bringing a wide selection of high-quality yarn and expert-led crochet and knitting classes to Ballincollig Store owner Olga Prins is thrilled about the move and looks forward to reconnecting with loyal customers while welcoming fresh faces to her new shop “I’m so excited to bring Olga’s Own Craft Studio to Ballincollig,” said Olga “Our community of knitters and crocheters has grown so much over the past three years and I can’t wait to meet new craft lovers while continuing to support my wonderful existing customers in this new space Whether you’re picking up a new hobby or are an experienced crafter A post shared by Olga Prins (@olgasowncraft1) The new store on The Square will offer a carefully curated range of yarns, knitting and crochet supplies, as well as classes designed for all skill levels. Regular workshops will be available to guide beginners through the basics and help seasoned crafters master new techniques in a warm and welcoming environment. Adrian O'Sullivan, Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig, rises to score from Tobias Christensen, UCC Demons. Picture: Jim Coughlan. Ballincollig made the trip to the capital for what was envisaged a tricky game against Bright St Vincent’s but they showed class and maturity to secure the points with a 100-77 win The Cork side laid the foundation for their win by displaying total control in the opening quarter with Joshua Tomaic and Quashawn Lane baskets giving them a six-point lead in the third minute with three minutes remaining in this period Lane knocked down a huge shot outside the arc that gave his team a 16-point advantage The hosts did respond and a late rally saw them cut the deficit to 11 One commendable aspect about this Ballincollig side is their ability to shut down teams in recent weeks and although Vincent’s are regular high scorers on their home court both teams traded baskets for long periods but Ballincollig finished this period well and went in at the break with an 18-point cushion Ballincollig coach Antonio Lopez could afford to use various rotations but it made little difference as they continued to dominate their opponents The teams shared 36 points in the third quarter and coming down the stretch Ballincollig ensured there was no way back for the Saints Fellow professionals Quashawn Lane (16) and Joshua Tomaic (13) also did well but let’s give a special mention to the Ballincollig's Irish players led by Adrian O’Sullivan on 17 points who managed a collective 49-point contribution Energywise Ireland Neptune halted a losing sequence last week on the road when defeating Templeogue and on Saturday they travelled to play Maree in Galway Credit to the Blackpool outfit they showed tremendous resilience and secured another badly needed win 80-76 Neptune's Darragh O'Sullivan attacks the Killorgin defence Picture: David CreedonBosman Jaksa Sola has come under scrutiny in recent weeks but he answered all his critics with a season-best and a 23-point contribution Maree played some quality basketball in the opening quarter and with new American signing Miles Brown showing nice touches inside and outside the arc they commanded a 21-17 lead entering the second quarter There is little doubt both sides were up for the challenge as they swapped baskets for fun in the second quarter and with the teams sharing 40 points the Galway side had a four-point interval lead There was little to choose between the teams in the third quarter but Maree continued to nail crucial baskets and entering the final quarter led by seven points Playing solid defence they restricted their opponents to 11 points and managed to execute key baskets at crucial times American Chance Hunter led the Neptune scoring on 24 points but fellow professional Jahmal Wright had another disappointing evening on the scoring front when accumulating a mere five points Darragh O’Sullivan had his best game since their opening win of the season at Belfast Star when chipping in with 15 points Picture: Jim Coughlan.UCC Demons didn't play last weekend but return to their home court on Sunday next when they host UCD Marian Ronan O'Sullivan in action for Irish Guide Dogs @MTU Ballincollig against EJ Sligo All-Stars at MTU Arena. Pic Larry Cummins Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig produced a magnificent display in the final quarter to snatch a win over Sligo All Stars in a thrilling Men’s Super League clash at the MTU Arena on Saturday Ciaran O’Sullivan has had a great career at the top tier of Irish basketball but his 20-point tally that included six three pointers proved the difference between two committed sides The home side got off to the perfect start when Adrian O’Sullivan nailed a free throw to be followed by a huge three pointer from his brother Ciaran Team captain Adrian O'Sullivan on the free-throw line for Irish Guide Dogs @MTU Ballincollig against EJ Sligo All-Stars at MTU Arena Pic Larry CumminsThe pressure continued as Joshua Tomaic produced a slammer and when Jake Wolfe followed up with a basket it was 8-0 with the Sligo coach immediately calling a time out The westerners improved on the restart and three offensive rebounds reduced the deficit to four points before Adrian O’Sullivan drained a three pointer Sligo All Stars responded with a basket from Jonathon Brown but Wolfe had the final say for Ballincollig with a buzzer beater lay-up that have the home side a five-point lead 30-25 A Tomaic basket gave Ballincollig the perfect start but Carroll replied with a long range shot outside the arc Another Ballincollig rookie Sean O’Flynn made an immediate impact with a three pointer and when Quashawn Lane registered a basket and bonus they raced into a nine-point lead in the 14th minute The response from Sligo was a three pointer from Oisin O’Reilly but Wolfe with a basket and bonus restored their nine-point cushion A brace of Tom Childs three pointers with three minutes remaining edged All Stars ahead 43-41 Childs added another couple of basket after a time out as Ballincollig were now hanging on for survival with some of the team rotations puzzling in this period but with foul trouble coach Lorenzo wasn’t spoiled for options Sligo held out to lead 48-45 at the break but looking at the stats Ballincollig attempted 15 shots outside the arc in the first and made six giving them a 40% average with their opponents 7/11 Jonathon Brown gave the visitors the perfect start with a back-door jumper and with Ballincollig struggling with their shooting and no threat at the post they needed to find a way to break down the Sligo defence The Sligo lead increased to 10 points in the 26th minute following a John Carroll dunk in the 26th minute as the home side looked all at sea at both ends of the court Sligo went into the last quarter commanding a nine-point 67-58 lead and a Ciaran O’Sullivan three pointer reduced it to six points in the opening minute Jake Wolfe in action for Irish Guide Dogs @MTU Ballincollig against EJ Sligo All-Stars at MTU Arena Pic Larry CumminsThe closing minutes were frantic and with the O’Sullivan brothers Ciaran and Adrian nailing long range three pointers coupled with a Wolfe basket the home side edged into an 81-80 lead with 1.46 remaining Following a time out Ciaran O’Sullivan drained another three pointer and that was the basket that kept the home side in front to the final buzzer Scorers for Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig: C O’Sullivan 20 Ballincollig has been named the Tidiest Town in Ireland. Picture: Naoise Culhane It is also the 12th consecutive gold medal for Ballincollig's dedicated committee of 13 volunteers who said they have “never gone backwards with our results” a packed-out ceremony on Friday lunchtime in Croke Park saw dozens of awards handed out to communities all over the country - with a big emphasis on climate change and sustainability while 30,00 volunteers worked across nine communities with more than 108,000 trees planted and two tons of waste collected The event also heard that 20% of the committee members are under the aged 25 years old Ballincollig also won "Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre" while Ballyphehane won the "Young Persons in Tidy Towns" award Volunteer Sheila Philpott out on her route during the weekly clean up in Ballincollig Picture: David CreedonBallinahown in Westmeath won the tidiest village accolade and Blackrock The winner of the tidiest large town was Westport silver and bronze medals for the County Awards went to several towns across North South and West Cork including Bandon Garret Kelleher and Jimmy Shorten told the Irish Examiner how the win was very much a 'community and a team effort" Gerard Keogh hailed the efforts of the large amount of volunteers who give their time to come out - sometimes on a Sunday morning - and litter pick etc.  with volunteers picking up hundreds that had been thrown away now recycling them to put the different the three different parts of vapes - the battery "From something that was creating an awful lot of hassle we are doing some good with it the fact that we are recycling the various different parts He added that they have picked up “hundreds of vapes” and that they have “huge bins full of them.”  Garrett Kelleher said the win was down to "years of continuous improvement He added that they also engaged with the local school which harvested the rainwater from their roof “Our allotment is directly adjacent to the nation school and Ger was directly involved in harvesting the rainwater from the roof of the national school,” he said They also paid tribute to one of their volunteers Diarmuid Horgan said: “He was a great initiator of various different things that we have up and running at our allotment - particularly our water harvesting taken from Scoil Barra waters the plants during the summer “He was also involved in setting up the compost and now we take in all of the leaves that are falling and use them the following year.”  Announcing Ballincollig as the overall winner Minister Heather Humphry’s said: “I offer my warmest congratulations to Ballincollig and all of its TidyTowns volunteers for being crowned Ireland’s tidiest town for 2024 “This is a truly great achievement and a special moment of immense pride for Ballincollig and indeed the wider county of Cork “Having first entered the competition in the 1960s Ballincollig today continues to showcase all that is good about innovation This is at the core of what the competition is all about.”  Valerie O’Sullivan said: “Huge congratulations to Ballincollig Tidy Towns This award and their ongoing work is a testament to their fantastic community spirit and great pride of place which is evident for all to see in Ballincollig Cork City Council is very proud to support and appreciates the dedication and volunteer effort that goes into winning such a prestigious award” The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan for Local Authority Award went to Sneem in Co A total of 26 medals were awarded to towns and villages in County Cork with special awards given to Bere Island and Sherkin Island Ballineen and Enniskeane TidyTowns Association was also named the National Winner of the Waters and Communities Award.   more cork - news articles A 13-year-old girl who died in a crash whilst she was competing in an auto grass racing event at the Castletown Kennigh track in Enniskean Cork yesterday has been named locally as Lauren O’Brien of Knockane Commemorating 100 years since the War of Independence Requiem Mass on Wednesday (26th March) at 12noon at the Church of St Mary and St John, Ballincollig which can be viewed on https://www.churchservices.tv/stmjballincollig. Private cremation will take place afterwards. CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one Ballincollig's Luke Fahy tries to get past Éiré Óg's Donnacha Kelly during the McCarthy Insurance Group PSFC tie Picture: David Creedon a place in the Cork Premier SAFC quarter-finals at stake All to play for in Kilmurry and it was Ballincollig who had all the answers easing past Éire Òg to set up a knockout clash with St Finbarr’s leaving Éire Òg now facing a relegation battle Ballincollig were full of energy from the off Peadar O’Neill and Sean Kiely missing good chances but Cian Dorgan finally got them up and running in the seventh minute He was on target again three minutes later and although goalkeeper Chris Kelly got Éire Ög on the scoreboard with a free in the 12th minute it was Ballincollig who were moving with far more menace With Luke Fahy and Frank Down in control in the half backline Ballincollig were far more dangerous and it took a fine save from Kelly to deny Dara Dorgan a goal in the 12th minute as a third Cian Dorgan point earned his side a 0-3 to 0-1 lead alter the opening quarter Éire Ög came more into the picture in the second quarter with Dylan Foley getting their second point and Daniel Goulding missing a free Ballincollig continued to make all the running as points from Sean Dore and Down had the winners 0-5 to 0-3 ahead at the break Fahy continued to have a big impact for Ballincollig in the second half A fine point by the Cork defender after the restart was followed by an important goal block at the other end from Colm O’Callaghan and although the Cork midfielder did get Éire Òg’s fourth point in the 38th minute it was all Ballincollig with Cian Dorgan and Fahy missing good chances to stretch Ballincollig lead even further Leading 0-7 to 0-4 entering the final quarter the goal Ballincollig deserved finally arrived great play between Colin Moore and Down in the 46th minute set up corner-forward Sean Kiely and he made no mistake from close range Goulding did give Éire Òg a lift with two pointed frees but five minutes from time Ballincollig made it safe Darragh McCarthy bringing down Sean O’Neill with a goal at his mercy and Dorgan blasting home the penalty to put the seal on an easy Ballincollig victory Ballincollig had Darragh O’Mahony sent off for a second yellow late on and Colm Clifford had a late Éire Òg point but they will have to play a lot better to avoid relegation after losing three out of three games A McCarthy for Murphy (both 39),D Healy for Foley (48) A collection of the latest sports news more cork - sport articles Kerry will face Clare and Cork play Tipperary By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here Ballincollig's Brian Keating holds off Charleville's Eoin O'Connell Holders Ballincollig are back in the Muskerry U21 A hurling final after an impressive victory away to Blarney on Saturday afternoon Ballincollig had standout performers in James Dwyer and David O'Sullivan at the heart of their defence midfielders Tadhg O'Connell and Pete Kelly The lively Eoin Dwyer chipped in with three points while David O'Leary and Ronan Power also hurled a lot of ball Denis McSweeney engaged in a bruising battle with Keating Joey O'Dwyer and Cathal McCarthy were busy and Eoghan Kirby Cian Barrett and Luke Kendellen were always dangerous in attack they tackled ferociously to minimise goal chances Denis McSweeney clears the sliotar for Blarney Picture: Jim Coughlan.Blarney opened with a Joe Cronin point and it took a smart David Hurley save to deny Cian Barrett a green flag as referee Brian Barry Murphy let the game flow Ballincollig landed six points on the bounce to justify their favourites tag but Blarney settled with scores from Kirby Collig then took control when Sean O'Neill released Keating for a cleverly finished goal in between points from Eoin Dwyer and O'Neill which put them 1-8 to 0-4 ahead after 20 minutes with marquee forwards Kirby and Barrett showing their quality They hunted in packs and starting picking up the breaks it was 1-11 to 0-9 and still finely poised Ballincollig's Sean O'Neill was in top form against Blarney Picture: Howard CrowdyO'Neill split the posts with a classy score from a tight angle on the restart with Kirby responding followed by a booming McSweeney free Sub Adam O'Mahony scored a gem from the wing but with corner-forward O'Neill on song and Kelly hoovering up breaks around the middle Ballincollig never looked like getting caught Conor Dalton was forceful in the air in the closing exchanges as Dwyer Dillon Horgan and Kelly franked the victory They'll face the winners of Inniscarra-Éire Óg in the final Scorers for Ballincollig: B Keating 1-7 (0-1 f Ballincollig's Adrian O'Sullivan score in the Domino's Men's Superleague game against UCD Marion at the MTU Arena Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig lost to UCD Marian in a very defensive Domino’s Men’s Super League game at MTU Arena Ballincollig will know that not controlling their own boards along with poor shooting and passing options Captain Adrian O'Sullivan was forced off with an ankle injury but they were left to rue wasting an early 19-2 advantage in a defeat that's a big blow to their prospects of a top-four finish and a home playoff quarter-final Ballincollig raced into a 7-2 lead with a brace of buckets by Quashawn Lane and an effort beyond the arc by his American teammate Jake Wolfe They then lost O'Sullivan after he had grabbed an early four points but their run and jump man-to-man defence was giving the Dublin side all sorts of problems When Ciaran O’Sullivan nailed a three they led 19-2 with 2.33 remaining in the opening period before the visitors then went on an eight-point run However a huge three by Sean McManus gave the Village a 22-10 lead entering the second quarter Marian started the second period brightly but Joshua Tomaic chipped in with three unanswered baskets to make it 33-21 midway through The one frustrating thing for the hosts was their rebounding and Marian punished them with 10 unanswered points to make it 39-35 at the half A pair of foul shots by Eoin Nelson gave Marian a 48-45 lead midway through the third quarter 52-48 with a short jumper by Tomaic and an effort beyond the arc by Wolfe some poor passing options saw the Dubliners reduce the deficit to just two points The Village settled at the start of their fourth and their lead was 61-56 with a pair of Wolfe free throws followed by a short jump hook shot by Tomaic Jake Wolfe led the scoring on Friday night at the MTU Arena Picture: David CreedonIt didn't last long though and Marian stayed in the mix with their free-throw shooting notably better than Ballincollig's Sean McManus got some big buckets late on but coming down the stretch Marian found a way to score the vital baskets to seal an important victory Cork manager Ronan McCarthy, Cian O’Neill and strength and conditioning coach Kevin Smith in 2019. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie who spent time as a strength and conditioning coach with Rugby outfit Stade Francais in France and the Cork senior footballers previously joins the Muskerry side on an initially one-year deal He will also work with the Ballincollig juvenile Ballincollig GAA chairperson Donal Hannigan was pleased to get the appointment over the line “We are delighted to have Dr Kevin Smith on board with us,” he says “Bringing someone with Kevin’s expertise and looking at the overall club and putting a framework in place that the club will start to use Being consistent with athletic development and putting a programme in place are vital for us which we have kitted out for use for a gym and with that building we were in a position to centralise a role like this one managers would have had a strength and conditioning coach for their top teams here in Ballincollig but with the executive of the club having access to this new building on the club grounds “Massive credit must go to Cork City Council for giving us access to the building It was previously used by other organisations in the community we lobbied for it and it meant that we were at a stage to find out to see if we could bring someone in from the outside to look at the overall club as a whole "We will share the building with two other community-based organisations.”  Picture: David KeaneHannigan feels this appointment is a significant step forward and a big news story for Ballincollig GAA in helping the teams progress It’s a game of inches and every fine detail can make all the difference “Kevin brings a wealth of experience having been over in France with Stade Francais and was with the Cork senior footballers with Ronan McCarthy and Cian O’Neill He is currently lecturing in MTU here in Cork so we wanted to bring in an educator into the club who can create that coaching environment on athletic development and coaching ideas "We feel this is a big leap forward for the club and there have been other examples in other clubs of doing something similar and it has worked very well for them “Having it centralised means we can roll out the framework across all the sections the juvenile section and our ladies football and camogie clubs Smith will work closely with Ballincollig Premier Senior football boss Podsie O’Mahony and new Ballincollig Premier Intermediate hurling manager Eamon Keating in 2025 and will be on the sidelines Ballincollig's goalkeeper David Hurley lands face down in the ground from Shandrum's Johnny Murphy and Kieran Murphy during the Co-Op Superstores Cork U21 A HC quarter-final at Newtownshandrum A puck-out from Cork U20 goalkeeper Daniel O’Connell proved the sensational winning score for Shandrum in the closing stages of this pulsating U21 A Hurling quarter-final at home on Sunday Despite trailing by eight points at half-time having hurled into a very strong wind an exhibition of free-taking from goalkeeper O’Connell and Kieran Murphy edged Shandrum through in a helter-skelter finish Ballincollig will certainly have regrets about this one as they squandered plenty of chances down the home straight This game was played in a gale-force breeze with Ballincollig’s Eoin Dwyer registering the opening score with a placed effort Shandrum’s Kieran Murphy ended the game with 0-9 points and he replied with a long-range free Ballincollig's Pete Kelly is tackled by Shandrum's Robert Troy Picture: Eddie O'HareBallincollig’s lively corner-forward Sean O’Neill was causing the Shandrum defence problems early on and he clipped over a lovely score Shandrum’s Stephen Minihane had an excellent game and he landed a beauty into the teeth of wind: 0-2 apiece after eight minutes Ballincollig’s marquee forward Brian Keating enjoyed a superb opening half and he landed a great score to edge his side in front Cork U20 midfielder Tadgh O’Connell increased that lead with a goal after good work from Dillon Horgan Conor Dalton added an excellent point which put daylight between the teams A pair of well-taken frees from Kieran Murphy kept the scoreboard ticking over for hosts Moments later Ballincollig struck for a second goal when Horgan whipped to the net after a long delivery from the excellent David O’Leary Ballincollig finished out the half strongly with Dwyer converting a good score from a placed effort while the impressive Brian Keating fired over his fourth from play Shandrum’s goalkeeper landed a sensational free from all of 90 yards which was very much a portent of things to come Eoin Dwyer replied for Ballincollig as the home crowd really got behind their side and the visitors struggled badly to make headway into the wind Ballincollig's Ronan Power wins the sliotar Picture: Eddie O'HareThree unanswered frees from Kieran Murphy in a two-minute spell reduced the gap to four after 40 minutes and Turlough O’Neill left a single point between the sides at the end of the third quarter Ballincollig’s Sean O’Neill was being tightly marshalled but he slipped inside the cover for a fine point A brilliant point from Eoin Dwyer from the wing quickly followed and suddenly there were three between the sides Shandrum were dominant now in general play though and a brace from the impressive Stephen Minihane when he ghosted up the flank and another monster from downtown by Daniel O’Connell tied it up O’Connell put his side in front with a booming puck-out as Ballincollig squandered a couple of excellent chances in the closing minutes Shandrum did have a goal disallowed for a square ball heading into injury time while a Collig move broke down in the dying stages when it looked like they'd slip in for a winning goal Ballincollig players celebrate after defeating Mallow in the Rebel Óg Premier 1 MFC final at Páirc Uí Rinn Ballincollig have been crowned Rebel Óg Premier 1 MFC winners for the first time since 2011 following victory over Mallow at Páirc Uí Rinn on Monday night This decider drew a large crowd to the Boreenmanna Road venue but it never got going with Ballincollig the better team throughout and had the composure and quality to get over the line Mallow did have occasional bursts of dominance but they could never get a proper grip on the game The celebrations from the Collig camp after the game said it all as the players delivered a county title that will give football a shot in the arm in the Muskerry club Danny Miskella was without a doubt the Player of the Match here as the Cork minor footballer put in an outstanding display They had many impressive performers with full-back Peter Rose rock solid while joint-captain David O’Leary and George Howard covered a world of ground Ballincollig's Danny Miskella goes past Mallow's Paddy Murphy and John Murphy during the Rebel Óg Premier 1 MFC final at Páirc Uí Rinn Picture: Eddie O'HareWhile Mallow will be disappointed naturally enough to miss out on a first title at this grade Mallow were first to get on the scoreboard when Ben O’Shea tacked on a free after three minutes before patient Ballincollig play resulted in a levelling score two minutes later Great work by Shane Rue O’Sullivan and Howard resulted in Miskella drilling over a point The opening quarter was very cagey with both defences on top as the two points in the first five minutes was a false dawn The next score didn’t arrive until the 18th minute and it was worth the wait when the hard-working Cillian Power clipped over a point to nudge the Village ahead Ballincollig were the better team and as the half wore on their possession was awarded with points from Miskella and a Cian Ahern free with Ahern’s effort coming after 27 minutes Mallow were very well set up in defence in what was a tactically minded contest but the Avondhu side struggled to create chances when Andy Hourigan bisected the posts after a great pass by O’Shea The intensity picked up slightly in the second half The Village were quick out of the traps when Charlie Murphy pointed two minutes in The sides traded white flags before Mallow were slowly coming into the game A Cathal Mullins free reduced the deficit down to two points after 40 minutes Ballincollig's Cillian Power kicks a great point against Mallow Picture: Eddie O'HareThe Muskerry side pushed out their lead to three points when the impressive Ahern slotted over a free with eleven minutes remaining It was all Ballincollig now and a neat effort from sub Jack Murray gave his side a healthy advantage That man Miskella played a part in the score along with Cian O’Connor It was getting to a stage when Mallow needed to look at raising a green flag but great defensive work from Con O’Connell’s side snuffed out any danger The sides swapped white flags as the Village led 0-9 to 0-5 after 57 minutes Points from Hourigan and Mullins (free) did briefly leave two points in it going into three minutes of added time Howard raised a white flag following a driving run to settle the Collig nerves Howard then received a second yellow card with less than a minute of stoppage time remaining A goal chance for Mallow right at the death was kicked away as Ballincollig bridged a 13-year gap Ballincollig players celebrate after defeating Mallow in the Rebel Óg Premier 1 MFC final at Páirc Uí Rinn Picture: Eddie O'Hare Scorers for Ballincollig: D Miskella 0-4 The Ballincollig Ladies Junior Football team. They were only founded in 2019 but have grown from strength to strength over the past six years There is always work to do and the club are holding a requirement night this Monday in Ballincollig GAA from 8pm to 9pm It will be for anyone that is interested in joining Ballincollig Ladies Football Club whether that is playing or even simply keen on getting involved in the coaching or administration side of things the first team play at Junior level and one of the selectors “We are always looking for new players,” he said “We want ex-players to get back involved and our ethos is we want girls of all ages to join up for the new season regardless of previous experience Even if you never picked up a football before we have plenty of teams that you can play on from underage up to senior level we have three teams including a Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others team Ballincollig Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others team.“We are holding our requirement night on Monday as it’s still early in the New Year and people are always keen to try something new There is a place for everyone in Ballincollig Ladies Football Club and we want to really stress that “We have had major success from underage up to adult level over the last few years the U15s have won the Mid-Cork and All-Ireland Féile and the Junior Minor and U16 teams have also reached finals recently We want to bring up the standard and push on Monday is an invite to everyone in the Ballincollig area and even outside.”  the two Cork sides in the Sigerson Cup finally get their campaigns underway today Both UCC and MTU Cork were due to play on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively but the games were postponed due to the weather Picture: Oliver McVeigh/SportsfileUCC meet UCD this evening at 4pm in St Patrick's Park in Enniscorthy while MTU Cork take on ATU Donegal in Abbotstown at 8pm Regardless of what happens in the opening round clashes the two Cork teams will be out again next week Councillors Colm Kelleher (left) and Derry Canty at Ballincollig AFC following the agreement for the lease for the club’s grounds, at the Landing Field, Ballincollig. Picture; Eddie O'Hare the club is finally the proud legal owners of the Landing Field complex The news comes following the signing and completion of a long lease with Cork City Council and marks a day some in the club feared might never come Chairperson Gerardene McNamara said it was important to thank all who had helped the club achieve its goal including committee members past and present who had worked so hard to overcome the many challenges put in their way She thanked Niall Murphy of NMS solicitors for legal help over a lengthy period and acknowledged the “helpful and open communication” the club had with Cork City Council’s property department Local political representatives at City Hall had lobbied very effectively to keep the issue to the forefront “Finally the club thanks the people of Ballincollig who have been steadfast in their support and their assistance through our difficult times,” Ms McNamara said Former lord mayor of Cork Colm Kelleher said it was a great day for Ballincollig and it meant the club could now apply for national sports capital funding “I look forward to working closing with the club on funding as I have done since I was elected in 2019,” he said Sinn Féin councillor Joe Lynch said that much praise was due to Ms McNamara who had persevered on the issue over so many years “I have been very happy to work with the club over the past year in making representatives to Cork City Council and Uisce Éireann to resolve outstanding matters,” he said Diana Sipova will launch her first art exhibition The Slovakian native has worked at Ballincollig Library for the past three years where she does storytime and runs a children’s book club Diana first came to Ireland in 2017 on scholarships to an Irish language course in Glencolmcille in Co Donegal and the Willie Clancy Summer School in Co Clare getting a job in Spar on Cork’s MacCurtain Street She is a graduate in graphic design and illustration at St John’s College Ballincollig GAA Club has appealed for help from friends and supporters in the 2025 Rebels Bounty The club is hoping to upgrade the lighting at Pitch 2 with 100% of all funds raised going directly to the club Club chairman Donal Hannigan said the club was asking club members to help out if they could “We are saying to people that we need their urgent support to help us with necessary LED upgrades which are needed for Pitch 2 lighting,” Mr Hannigan told The Echo in time for the 2025 end of season activities We’re asking friends to please support by signing up to the Rebels Bounty draw at https://tinyurl.com/3emascpy,” he said saw the passing out of 16 new full-time firefighters Ballincollig’s 10-person station closed in November 2021 and has long been a source of controversy Cork city firefighters accepted a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) proposal to end their industrial dispute with Cork City Council which was accepted by 72% of those balloted saw the introduction of a ‘fourth pump’ crewed out of the fire brigade’s Anglesea St headquarters explained that while the fire station remains closed there is a full crew dedicated to Ballincollig “We have what we refer to as a fourth pump but they operate from Anglesea St,” he said they go in and around the Ballincollig area but there is a dedicated crew that is there to cover the Ballincollig area.” Asked about the likelihood of Ballincollig Fire Station reopening Mr Shine said a report examining the future of the fire service in Cork city was due soon from business advisory firm Crowe Ireland Ballincollig Family Resource Centre is offering one last call for its health and wellness workshop this Thursday with a few spaces still available with nutritional therapist and health and wellness coach Jennifer O’Callaghan Attendees are invited to discuss all things nutrition which organisers say is designed to encourage a lifestyle transformation that will benefit those who take part the group will be client led and discussion topics are unlimited The remaining workshop session is scheduled to take place this Thursday Anyone interested in taking part is asked to register by emailing info@ballincolligfrc.org or by calling 021 4876295 While there was no winner of the €8,400 jackpot €50 to David Wool and €50 to Yvonne O’Mahony The club is migrating its club lottery from its previous host to its club platform ClubZap and all existing players with remaining credit have been moved across with their same numbers plus their remaining credits and very honoured to have the minister here to launch SuperValu Tidy Towns 2025,” Ballincollig Tidy Towns (BTT) chair Tom Butler told The Echo on Monday morning as a spotless Regional Park basked in spring sunshine minister for social protection and rural and community development accompanied by local minister Jerry Buttimer paid repeated tribute to the Ballincollig volunteers who have done so much to earn the village its national reputation and that’s a tribute to all the volunteers here We’re here in Ballincollig to launch the 2025 competition and I wish everybody well and encourage them to be part of it and thank Ballincollig for hosting us,” Mr Calleary said Members of Ballincollig Tidy Towns with minister for rural and community development Dara Calleary at last week's launch of SuperValu TidyTowns 2025 last week Mr Butler said there were no special plans to make any extra efforts this year for BTT it was going to be business as usual “We’re doing exactly what we’ve done every other year We’re just trying to maintain the standard that we have and try and improve on that if we can We have never gone out to win a competition and that’s the same for every Tidy Towns committee and we’ve been working on 2025 since June 1 last year,” he said “You keep working and you keep working ahead,” Mr Butler said The 49th Ballincollig Scout Group is preparing to celebrate 50 years of scouting in Ballincollig members are seeking to reconnect with those who have helped to play a part in the group’s half-century journey The group posted an invitation to former members to get in touch on social media last week: “If you were ever a leader with our group “Send us a DM or email us and we will share details of upcoming celebrations with you.” To make contact with the 49th Ballincollig Scout Group “Feel free to spread the word to any past leaders you’re still in touch with We want to make sure no one misses out,” they added A whole new generation of fans discovered The Frank and Walters on The Young Offenders but whether you’ve been following them since ‘Fashion Crisis Hits New York’ or since when Billy Murphy hijacked the number eight bus for a karaoke day trip to Youghal The Frank and Walters will play a series of intimate acoustic gigs over the coming weeks covering a back catalogue of hundreds of songs penned over three decades and Ballincollig’s The White Horse is one of the venues Vocalist Paul Linehan will share some of the stories behind the songs offering anecdotes from the crazy world of life in one of Cork and Irelands most enduring bands as well as timeless classics like ‘This Is Not A Song’ and ‘Colours’ The Frank and Walters play The White Horse at 8.30pm Ballincollig’s Scoil Barra has a new musical offering from its fifth and sixth class pupils a re-working of the story of Beauty and the Beast The show takes the audience on a magical journey with Belle (Gabi Jojo) as she looks for a world beyond her poor provincial town She finds excitement within the Beast’s castle meeting a host of endearing characters there — Mrs Potts Chip (Tom Power) and his new friend Saucy (Ciara Sweeney) and the suave and gracious Lumiere (Hannah Smyth) She melts the heart of Beast (George Adebyi) with her enchanting ways and endless kindness Gaston (Max McGibney) provides plenty of buffoonery and humour and Rose (Emily Doherty) is a graceful and elegant timekeeper Directed by Kara Woods and Louise Moriarty Sarah Twomey is the music and vocal director and former principal Karen O’Sullivan leads the band Musical numbers are choreographed by Sarah Moriarty Sets and costumes were created by volunteers from among the staff and parent body The students’ props team is led by Gearóid Kelleher who designed and created many of the items used on stage of four and are on sale from Scoil Barra 021-4873459 the Pyke Theatre Group is holding its monthly social evening at Ballincollig Rugby Club in Tanner Park If you would like to become a member of the group please email pyketheatre@gmail.com or check out the Pyke Theatre Group onFacebook While there was no winner of the €10,400 jackpot The next draw is scheduled to take place on this Thursday evening O’Sullivan-Lane (Ballincollig and formerly of Rosscarbery) On April 7th 2025 peacefully in the presence of her loving family and in the tender care of the doctors nurses and staff at the Bon Secours Hospital beloved wife of Denis and loving mother of Rachel and Jason Sadly missed by her loving husband and family Lying in repose at Crowley’s Funeral Home, Ballincollig (P31 W982) Wednesday (9th) from 6.00pm with prayers at 7.00pm. Requiem Mass at 12 noon Thursday (10th) in the Church of Christ our Light, Ballincollig which can be viewed on https://www.churchservices.tv/ballincolligchristourlight Funeral afterwards to St John’s Cemetery Family flowers only. Donations in lieu to Breast Cancer Ireland https://www.breastcancerireland.com/donate/ Nuala's family would like to thank the Doctors, Nurses and Staff at the Bon Secours Hospital for the excellent care given to her. Ballincollig's Sinead Crowley takes on Liffey Celtics' Shauna Homan at MTU Ballincollig put up a battling display against holders and hot favourites Liffey Celtics in the NICC Women’s National Cup semi-final at MTU charging into a 13-2 lead inside the opening five minutes but couldn’t sustain their advantage against an experienced and deep Celtics who dominated the second and third quarters The Village finished on the right note however trimming the gap to seven points with possession at one stage when they saw a decent look rattle the rim and end up as a defensive board Ballincollig's Caoimhe Donovan is tackled by Liffey Celtics' Aoife Tiernan and Shauna Homan Picture: Eddie O'HareSinead Crowley handled the ball well and finished with 18 points with Holly Kierans and Yvonne Burgoyne working extremely hard to both ends of the floor Centre Caoimhe Donovan picked up an injury which forced her off but she gave everything throughout and that was a theme of the game Ballincollig threatened a shock comeback in the fourth when they went on a 7-0 run Clodagh O’Driscoll having a major impact with a knockdown three and Burgoyne driving to the rim and then swishing a long two just inside the paint Classy forward Liffey Niamh Masterson got two buckets either side of a Jean O’Sullivan lay-up and that settled them The Leixlip outfit managed the rest of the quarter well scoring to cancel out efforts from Crowley and O’Sullivan for the Leesiders Ballincollig had gotten off to a flier with Donovan Ava Lordan and Crowley finding their range for an 8-0 advantage After Karen Mealey’s jumper opened Celtics’ account Ballincollig ended up with a five-point play A Crowley lay-up saw her go to the line for the bonus and the missed free throw was rebounded and turned into a sweet three-pointer Liffey settled and made five baskets before the quarter ended They got the first three scores of the second quarter as well A Crowley free throw and a lovely Burgoyne lay-up gave Ballincollig the edge again Ballincollig's Yvonne Burgoyne and Liffey Celtics' Claudia Canuto Sanches tussle for possession Picture: Eddie O'HareCaptain Mealey showed her experience in the five minutes before the break while Celtics were pressing hard and forcing turnovers as they moved 31-24 up That ball pressure was crucial in the third quarter as well while Shauna Curran nailed a trio of three-pointers to push the margin to 14 Ballincollig responded excellently in that closing 10 minutes without reeling their opponents in completely administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and sponsored by SuperValu The minister could hardly have picked a better backdrop for the launch Kept spotless by Tom Butler and his team of dedicated volunteers Ballincollig offers strong testimony to the value of Tidy Towns — one of the country’s most recognised sustainable Mr Calleary noted that last year saw more than 900 entries to the competition with more than 30,000 volunteers giving up 1m hours of their time all year round to come together to make communities cleaner “I would encourage everyone to reach out to their local group and volunteer You will be surprised at the benefits that can accrue to you and to your wider community.” Mr Calleary thanked the competition’s national sponsor now in its 35th year of sponsoring Tidy Towns SuperValu managing director Luke Hanlon said the competition had become synonymous with the retailer The closing date for receipt of entries for this year’s competition is Monday Entries will only be accepted by email to TidyTowns@drcd.gov.ie Men’s Super League pace setters Killester can extend their lead on the chasing pack when they meet third-placed Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU to begin the fifth double game weekend of the season.  Jonny Grennell’s side suffered no hangover from their Pat Duffy Cup Final win as they dispatched Belfast Star 86-78 on the back of another strong showing from Isiah Dasher bringing their winning streak in the Men’s Super League to 12 games They hold a one game lead over UCC Demons with a game in hand Paul Dick is likely to continue his spell on the sidelines following his injury in their cup success at the National Basketball Arena Five of Ballincollig’s seven defeats have come in one score games last weekend’s buzzer beater loss to Energywise Ireland Neptune will have been frustrating to head coach Antonio Lopez despite the fact they bounced back with a 101-69 win against an under-strength Templeogue team two days later.  UCC Demons survived the ejection of Kyle Hosford and a Neil Lynch three at the buzzer to leave South Dublin with the spoils and stay in second place in the standings They’re back on the road this weekend to face Maree in Galway before welcoming Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU to the Mardyke Arena for a Sunday afternoon Cork derby Garvey’s Tralee Warriors bid to stay in touch at the top will be tested with back-to-back away ties against a Bright St Vincent’s side fighting to avoid the drop and a talented Belfast Star outfit capable of taking out any team in the league if Dre Jackson and Darweshi Hunter hit top gear UCD Marian can make it six wins in seven games as they take on an EJ Sligo All-Stars team struggling with key injuries and Templeogue – without Tavias Fagan through injury – will need a huge performance from latest recruit Samuel Henderson if they’re to upset Belfast Star and draw level with Henderson’s former team Bright St There are implications at both ends of the table in Sunday’s fixtures Vincent’s welcome EJ Sligo All-Stars to Glasnevin in a game both will view as must win if they’re to start looking upwards rather than below them Flexachem KCYMS have won two of their last three following a run of four successive defeats but they’ll be up against it when Killester travel to Killorglin and Griffith College Éanna will attempt to end Energywise Ireland Neptune’s two game winning run as Pat Price looks to guide his side over .500 for the first time since October National Basketball Arena Tymon Park, Dublin, IrelandD24 N449   (map) T: +353 1 459 0211E: info@ireland.basketball Get the latest basketball news to your inbox,ticket offers Quashawn Lane scores for Irish Guidedogs Ballincollig @MTU against Killester Ballincollig produced a season-best to defeat table-toppers Killester in a thrilling Men’s Super League clash at the MTU Arena on Saturday The performance of the Ballincollig professionals on the scoring front was excellent as professionals Quashawn Lane (26) Jake Wolfe (24) and Joshua Tomaic (13) contributed 63 points of their tally Jake Wolfe nailed two of his three throws in the opening minute and when Ciaran O’Sullivan and Wolfe added three-pointers the home side surged into a six-point lead in the third minute The play was upbeat and with Killester missing their ace talisman Paul Dick they were struggling to find baskets in the early exchanges Dick injured his ankle in the cup final against UCC Demons and sadly it seems he will miss the rest of the season Credit to Ballincollig they continued to shoot the ball with precision and deservedly had surged into a 19-10 in the seventh minute The Ballincollig pressure continued in the closing minutes and with their defence as rigid as ever they deservedly commanded a nine-point lead 24-15 entering the second quarter Killester responded with consecutive baskets but Quashawn Lane produced a stunning three-pointer The scoring dried for both sides in the opening four minutes with a Ciaran Roe lay-up reducing the deficit to four The introduction of Isaac Westbrooks helped Killester with a classy shot outside the arc and they took the lead for the first time in the 16th minute when Isiah Dasher finished a lay-up in style In the closing minutes consecutive three-pointers from Andy McGeever surged Killester in an eight-point lead and Ballincollig called a time-out with 27.5 seconds remaining to the interval with possession No basket was banked though as Killester went in at the break commanding a 48-40 lead Ciaran O’Sullivan gave the home side the perfect start with a neat jumper and when Tomaic nailed one of his free throws after an unsportsmanlike foul was called on McGeever the lead was down to five points The skills of Killester’s American Kason Harrell resurfaced as nailed consecutive baskets to open up an 11-point gap Killester after looking to be taking control were stunned as Ballincollig responded in style and after Wolfe tipped in and got the bonus there was just three points between the teams Jake Wolfe in action for Irish Guidedogs Ballincollig @MTU on Saturday Picture: Larry CumminsThe home team kept coming at Killester and when Lane drained a brace of free throws Ballincollig led by the minimum 64-63 entering the fourth quarter Adrian O’Sullivan floated a beauty on the restart as Killester looked to be on the ropes The shooting of McGeever kept Killester in the game as they regained a 73-70 lead in the 33rd minute There was intense tension coming down the stretch and when a Lane nailed a jumper with four minutes remaining Ballincollig led 78-76 A Ciaran O’Sullivan three-pointer rallied the Ballincollig troops as they finished in style to record a famous victory St Finbarr's Cillian Myers-Murray and Ballincollig's Seán O'Neill chase the ball. Picture: David Creedon St Finbarr’s finished with a flourish to see off the stern challenge of Ballincollig in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC quarter-final at Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday night The Barrs were under the pump for large spells of this one They trailed by two points at the break and were four points behind after 43 minutes Brian Roche’s side will now meet familiar foes Castlehaven in the last four It will be the fifth successive season that the two teams will lock horns in championship There was plenty of drama and needle in this one There was a likelihood of extra time like the minor meeting between the clubs on Tuesday night The Barrs came good here in normal time to prevail Ballincollig fall at the quarter-final hurdle for a second campaign on the trot Their chances were dented by a nasty injury to Cork footballer Luke Fahy after 17 minutes His absence was keenly felt in the second half losing Darragh O’Mahony for 10 minutes to a black card after 53 minutes was pivotal Ballincollig's Seán Dore is pulled back by St Finbarr's Ian Maguire Picture: David CreedonPlayed in front of a very decent crowd at the Boreenmanna Road venue which was rewarded with a Seán O’Neill point following a neat team move but did get a score when Steven Sherlock landed an easy free but the Village were dangerous when going forward and an O’Mahony pass to Peter O’Neill resulted in the leveller The Muskerry side suffered a setback after 12 minutes when John Wigginton-Barrett scored an outstanding individual goal The jinky forward sidestepped a number of Ballincollig defenders before finishing low into the net 1-2 to 0-2 before Fahy had to leave the field through injury The sides traded the next four points with Cian Dorgan’s effort 1-4 to 0-4 with seven minutes to the break a heads up pass from midfielder Seán Dore to Dara Dorgan split open the Barrs defence and the forward finished to the net A Cian Dorgan free from an acute angle nudged the team in green and white ahead as they defended heroically in the closing stages of the first half Cillian Myers-Murray thought he was going to net a goal who coughed up possession seconds beforehand made an inspirational block to deny a certain goal That man Cian Dorgan gave his side a two-point advantage at half-time St Finbarr's Ethan Twomey tries to break free from Ballincollig's Liam Jennings Picture: David CreedonSt Finbarr’s needed a good start to the new half a Sherlock point a minute in was a positive opening for them The sides were level for a fourth time when Brian Hayes pointed It was short lived when the Collig got a second goal after 35 minutes Seán Kiely with the green flag after Dore did great work in the build-up The Village were the better team at this juncture as they hit two of the next three points to lead 2-8 to 1-7 after 43 minutes A pair of Sherlock frees left two points in it A 45 from Sherlock cut the deficit down to a point with 10 minutes remaining but a fisted Cian Dorgan effort was a big point for the Village The sides traded points before John Wigginton-Barrett left a point in it Ballincollig’s Darragh O’Mahony received a black card after 53 minutes before a Sherlock free levelled matters It was crucial as Sherlock converted a free and then Hayes netted after 60 minutes after he pounced on a mistake A close-in free from Sherlock made sure of the win but it certainly wasn't easy for the city side Scorers for St Finbarr’s: S Sherlock 0-10 (0-8 f when house hunters were splashing the cash on super-size Celtic Tiger homes a Ballincollig farmer decided the time was ripe to pivot from the hard toil of cultivating fruit to delivering sites for housing Having secured planning permission for more than 30 homes on his c 10 acres at Carriganarra Denis O’Driscoll sold off fully serviced sites for detached homes to eager buyers in the early noughties A few developers bit too and acquired some of those sites on which to build and sell what the Limeworth houses originally sold for is rumoured rather than proven but what can be said is that auctioneers were guiding at prices in the region of €1.2m by early 2007 Large rear garden and patio at No 7Since those heady days that the man who kickstarted the development is ready to test the upper end of the market by placing the Limeworth home that he has owned for 20-odd years up for sale If Denis O’Driscoll achieves the €1.2m that No 7 Limeworth is guiding at the Register will finally prove what was once only rumoured: That buyers are prepared to pony up more than €1m for a luxury Limeworth home “No 7 is one of the best houses in the estate; it’s the one that he [Mr O’Donovan] chose to hold onto,” says selling agent Norma Healy muscular property set in tastefully landscaped gardens The high standard to which it was finished is borne out in the laudable While a lot of these Limeworth houses are physically similar not all are as energy efficient as 20-year-old No 7 which featured in these pages in recent years but just two families occupied it in all of that time and treated it as tenderly as if it was their own home In very good trim internally and externally much of the ground-floor accommodation is open plan: A large kitchen/dining room is flanked on one side by a family room and on the other by a generous sunroom Living room/sunroom Double doors open from the sunroom to a large rear patio and lawn with a good mix of mature trees and shrubbery around the periphery of a cobble-locked driveway No 7 has as many bathrooms as bedrooms: half a dozen of each and a bathroom off the floored loft room complete the tally Living roomMs Healy says No 7 is generating “good local interest” among families looking to trade up exclusive development” on the rim of the N40 Ballincollig bypass “just a five minute drive to Cork University Hospital It’s also next door to Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin Children are well represented in Limeworth and it’s near the Heathfield new homes development were houses have been selling like hot cakes Graham Norton's home in Wapping in London up for sale at €5.8m UCC Demons' David Lehane with a pass around the corner to Kyle Hosford watched by coach Daniel O'Mahony at the Mardyke Arena UCC Demons had too much firepower for Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig in the Men’s Super League at the Mardyke Arena on Sunday On a day when former American stars of the eighties Jasper McElroy Bob Stephens and Lennie McMillan were in attendance the present squad didn’t let them down with a solid display In a game that never ignited Demons' ability to execute baskets with relative ease proved too much for their Cork opponents they also had solid performances from Elijah Tillman (26) and Patrick Robinson (30) Joshua Tomaic gave the visitors the perfect start but James Hannigan responded with a superb three-pointer Demons' defending was poor in the early exchanges as Ballincollig exposed them to race into a 10-5 lead in the third minute Ballincollig’s American Quashawn Lane was showing some nice touches in the offence court and midway through the quarter they deservedly commanded a six-point lead Ciaran O'Sullivan gathers the ball from UCC Demons' Tobias Christensen Picture: Eddie O'HareDemons to their credit responded with three unanswered baskets but they were not playing to their standard The visitors suddenly got scrappy as Kyle Hosford nailed a three-pointer and a basket that helped them command a 24-18 lead entering the second quarter Adrian O’Sullivan stepped outside the arc after just 10 seconds and that was followed by a similar basket from Lane that tied the game Demons' defence was all sea as they continued to give Ballincollig clear looks and they were fortunate to command a three-point lead in the 14th minute Ballincollig went into a lull as Demons took advantage to lead 37-31 midway through the quarter The visitors began committing silly fouls and following a David Lehane free throw Demons' lead increased to 11 points The flow and tempo decreased but Kyle Hosford was playing out of his skin nailing a three-pointer in the 18th minute that gave his side a 13-point lead Ballincollig continued to struggle on the scoring front When the ball was inbounded it fell to Tillman who produced a wonderful slammer that ensured they went in at the break commanding a 17-point lead 53-36 Toby Christensen gave Demons the perfect start with a simple lay-up but Ballincollig responded with three unanswered baskets mainly down to poor defence from the home team Demons went into meltdown in this period as indiscipline coupled with poor defence allowed Ballincollig to reduce the deficit to eight in the 26th minute the home side managed to regain a 15-point lead with two minutes remaining in this period UCC Demons' Patrick Robinson is tackled by Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU Quashawn Lane Picture: Eddie O'HareNot for the first time dreadful defending cost Demons and with Adrian O’Sullivan nailing consecutive three-pointers it was suddenly 73-63 entering the final quarter Robinson got in back-door for the opening basket of the restart but Ballincollig immediately responded as Demons were relying on getting the ball to Tillman at the post to get the key baskets Some of the defence played by both sides continued to be lethargic and with four minutes remaining Demons had their lead reduced to eight points In fairness Hosford was incredible and coming down the stretch he held his team together securing the bragging rights over Ballincollig for the second time this season It concluded a memorable day for the Demons faithful while Ballincollig couldn't follow up on Saturday's win over table-toppers Killester Quashawn Lane in action for Irish Guidedogs Ballincollig @MTU against Killester. Picture: Larry Cummins Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell and The Address UCC Glanmire Ballincollig’s topsy-turvy season came to an end in the playoffs at Clontarf when they went down to Killester 82-74 despite a strong showing The opening quarter was pulsating with both sides going for the jugular with a Ciaran O’Sullivan basket helping them into a 6-2 lead in the second minute Midway through the quarter the Cork side still had a two-point cushion and a late Keelan Cairns three-pointer saw them trail 25-24 entering the second quarter Killester then took control with a late Kason Harrell dagger outside the arc giving them a nine-point interval lead With Paul Dick a constant threat they increased their lead to 16 points in the 27th minute Credit to Ballincollig they refused to lie down and they reduced the deficit to 11 points entering the final quarter Adrian O’Sullivan could only play for seven minutes as he was struggling with an ongoing ankle injury and Killester set up a final-four clash at home to Eanna The season is also over for Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell as despite putting in a serious shift against Dublin side Killester they went down 88-80 Brunell went into the game minus their injured American Deaja Richardson but showed true resilience in the opening quarter to lead 22-21 Captain Edel Thornton was outstanding and their intensity continued into the second quarter to go in at the break commanding a nine-point lead 46-37 Killester responded in style and with American Samantha Haiby and Irish international Mimi Clarke leading by example they outscored Brunell 28-14 to go ahead by five heading into the final quarter Coming down the stretch Killester showed their experience and despite Brunell playing hard to the final buzzer the Dublin side eventually got over the line It certainly was a disappointing end to the campaign for Brunell as missing a professional in a game of this magnitude was a major factor Brunell have some quality Irish players and next season with two solid professionals they could well make a bold challenge for Super League and National Cup titles Brunell's Danielle O'Leary drives to the basket while fending off Glanmire's Lucy Walsh Picture: David CreedonIt was also a disappointing end to the hopes of The Address UCC Glanmire losing 88-66 to National Cup winners Liffey Celtics Glanmire were also restricted to one American after releasing Trinity Oliver and although putting in a battling first-half display they found themselves trailing by 13 points at the break In a rip-roaring third quarter the sides shared 58 points but coming down the stretch the Kildare side put the game beyond Glanmire’s reach with American Alexandra Navarette finishing with a game-high 26 points Hard to know the future of this Glanmire side as they have limited players coming through to play in the top tier and there will be some soul-searching done over the summer months as they look to the future