Following Béara wins in ’78 and ’79, the 1980’s was a tough period . After Fr. Brian Kelly’s departure, Garnish waited 16 years for its next title. Emigration and depopulation were existential challenges.
However, as the 70’s generation had families of their own, a new generation nurtured on Gaelic Football at Cahermore National School lay the roots for very successful decade in the 1990’s.
Particular credit to John L. O’Sullvian and Bernie D.M. O’Sullivan for establishing the new school in Cahermore as a centre of excellence and accumulating underage success by the early 1990s.
1997 proved a most remarkable years in the history of Garnish and Béara. Páirc Gairinis was officially opened in June 1997 with an entertaining match between Béara and Laune Rangers.
Whilst Garnish won the Cormac O’Sullivan cup in 1995, 96 and 97, Béara winning the County Senior championship after a replay with Castlehaven was the big achievement of that year. For the first time , Garnish supplied the winning captain in Ollie Rue O’Sullivan and was assisted by Paudie B. O’Sullivan, Seán Walsh as well as the five Murphy brothers, Cormac O’Neill and Paudie O’Neill. As they carried the Andy Scannel cup over Bearnes, bonfires lit the way to Allihies village.
Béara also won the U21 championship in 1997. ssisted by Séamus Murphy, Cormac O’Neill, Paudie O’Neill, and Seán Walsh, Paudie B. O’Sullivan captained the team .
Garnish players who represented Cork during this period.
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- John Flor’ O’Sullivan played with Cork vocational schools 1982 – 1984.
- Paul Murphy was on the Cork minor panel in 1990.
- Paudie B. and Paudie O’Neill – All-Ireland Vocational school 1994.
- Paudie B. O’Sullivan – captain of Cork U21s in 1997
- Robert Walsh won an AlI-Ireland meal with Cork juniors in 1996.
- Ollie Rue O’Sullivan captained the 1997 Béara team, played with Cork minors in 1989 and 1990, with Cork U21’s in 1992 and 1993 and with Cork seniors from 1996 – 2000. All-Ireland junior medals in 1993 and 1996.
Following its Béara win in 1997, Garnish were unlucky to meet a strong Ballinora side in the county semi-final.
