White’s Cross hurlers Eddie Coughlan & Ruairi Quinlan became the first White’s Cross players to take part in the senior hurling championship for over 20 years when they were picked for the UCC team who took on Muskerry in Riverston on Sunday night, the 10th of August. Murt Kelleher (current White’s Cross Junior football coach) was the last player to play in the competition when he represented CIT versus Midleton in the early noughties.
Indeed, the two lads join a very small group of players from the club that have played senior hurling championship while playing with the club. Noel Murphy (in the 1960s) and Pat Riordan (1974) were part of the Imokily senior hurling squad when the club plied its trade in the East Cork division.
John Hickey and John O’Sullivan were part of Seandún panels when the club moved into the City Divison in the mid1980s and then Murt Kelleher, as mentioned above, played with CIT in the noughties.
Both Eddie and Ruairi acquitted themselves very well in this match. Ruairi was very sold at corner back while Eddie scored three points from play from his full-forward berth. This is a fine achievement for both players given that they both have spent most of the last year out injured. Both have had shoulder injuries and resulting operations.
Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the two lads, the UCC team went under by six points. Goals win games as they say. This rang through here as Muskerry won on a 4-15 to 0-021 scoreline.
Hopefully both lads, and others from White’s Cross, will get plenty of opportunities in the future to play at the senior level.