The Joe Delaney Cup                                                 Ballincollig Hurling & Football Club Bord na nÓg are delighted to announce the hosting of The Joe Delaney Cup for 2025. Last year’s tournament was a tremendous success with wonderful talent on show from all Clubs on the day, it could only be described as a Festival of Hurling. The Cup was won by first time participants Clarinbridge of Galway, no doubt they are looking forward to coming down and defending the Cup again this year.

The Hurling tournament will be held for Fé11 boys from Cork, Galway, and Dublin with up to 160 boys enjoying the day. This year’s participants include Ballincollig, our near neighbours Bishopstown, Clarinbridge of Galway, and Ballyboden St Enda’s of Dublin. It’s our own miniature All Ireland, just the way Joe would have liked it.

The Joe Delaney Cup will take place in Ballincollig Hurling & Football Club on Saturday the 14th of June with games starting at 10:45am. Please come and support your Club for what promises to be an excellent day of hurling with County stars of the future providing wonderful entertainment in honour of a great Clubman.

Joe Delaney
Fifty years ago Ballincollig was a different place to what it is today. A town of 700 people about to experience an influx of strangers from all parts of the county and country. Among those that arrived in this expanding dormitory town was a certain Joe Delaney and his family.

Joe left an indelible mark on the town of Ballincollig. A Kilkenny man with a great love of hurling, he soon got involved in Ballincollig Hurling & Football Club and things were never the same again. He was Registrar of the Club for a long number of years until his untimely death. Joe never asked outright for membership but approached you with the phrase “did you want to see me!”

When the Parish Leagues were run in the 1980s there were four main areas - West Village, Castlepark, Muskerry and Joe's pride and joy Inniscarra View/Rosewood. The green at Inniscarra View was where a lot of young players learned the basics of hurling and football under Joe's watchful eye. He was like the pied piper on summer evenings as his charges assembled for training and on Sunday mornings he was not slow to encourage his team during Parish League games in the Powdermills. Sometimes, carried away by the excitement of the game Joe could be found in the middle of the pitch with his young charges and would have to be reminded he was not playing!

There was also another side to Joe. His remarkable charitable work will never be fully known because it was done in a quiet and unassuming way. Whether it was hospital visitations, calls on the sick or the elderly, seeking out a favour for a needy person or tending graves Joe was second to none.

People like Joe should never be forgotten. They are rare gems that you have the privilege of saying he was my friend. It is a fitting tribute to Joe and the Delaney family that Ballincollig Hurling & Football Club Bord na nÓg honour his memory annually with the Joe Delaney Cup. Thanks Joe.