Rivalries renewed - history of derbies on Leeside

Cork City and Cobh Ramblers will play the first Cork derby in the League of Ireland in twelve years on Friday evening, with Turner’s Cross set to host this fascinating encounter.

While the two teams are well acquainted from pre-season friendlies and domestic cup competitions, this will be the first meeting between the two teams since September 2008, when a late penalty from Ross Gaynor salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Rams at St. Colman’s Park.

After that night, the two teams fell into a quagmire of debts and ownership issues, which separated the two teams for much of the last ten years.

City, who’s issued were well publicized in a trilogy of books by former player Neal Horgan, owed its creditors €1.3m, including €360,000 to the Revenue Commissioners. Events that year caused a chain reaction at the club which led to them getting demoted to the First Division in 2010.

The economic malaise which plagued the two teams last meeting in 2008 is not uncommon in Cork football, as the city’s football destiny has repeatedly hampered by similar events.

The first ever Cork derby in the League of Ireland, between Cork Bohemians and Cork, fizzled out due to various debts in the early 1930s. Bohemians, who were elected to the league in 1932, found away trips draining on resources. The club also fell behind in their 5% of gate receipts payable to the league and ended up getting suspended. Gathering funds did nothing for the club, as soon as the suspension was lifted, they failed to raise £15 which would have enabled them to fulfil a fixture against Dolphin at Harold’s Cross in April 1934. Bohemians then informed the league of their intentions to withdraw.

Cork Athletic and Evergreen United (who later changed their name to Cork Celtic) was the first real, long lasting derby on Leeside. The two teams played in the league from 1951-1957 and even met in the final of the 1953 FAI Cup.

That was a glorious day for football on Leeside, as 17,396 people flocked to Dalymount Park from Ireland’s Second City. They were treated to a show as Dave Noonan scored a late equalizer for Athletic to tie the game up at 2-2. Unfortunately, extra-time and penalties did not exist back then, meaning both teams had to come back to Dublin for a replay, which quite annoyed football fans in Cork.

“I went to the first match in Dalymount with 20,000 others, and when it was a draw we hoped the replay would be on in Cork,” Jerry Harris told the Irish Examiner in 2015, “But the FAI didn’t agree and only 6,000 turned up for the replay, which Athletic won.”

The rivalry ended in 1957 when Athletic folded due to financial issues. Cork Hibernians were elected in their place, a decision which would change the course of football history on Leeside.  



Cork Celtic and Hibernian played each other no fewer than 38 times in league competition between 1958 and 1976. Celtic had the better record of 16 wins to Hibernians’ 13, with the teams drawing nine times. According to The Echo, Hibs who had the best unbeaten sequence of 11, stretching from February 2, 1969 to February 24, 1974.

Over 13,000 people would pack The Mardyke and Flower Lodge to see these two teams play. It was a true derby in every sense of the word. Hibernian’s support came from the north-side of the city and Celtic drew from the south-side. It was a real schism which divided football loyalties in Ireland’s Second City.

Once again traditional financial issues emerged from the wilderness and by 1977, the derby was dead. Hibernian were the first to go and Celtic followed in 1979 when they were expelled by the League of Ireland Management Committee.

Cork Alberts, who played in the league with Celtic from 1976-1979, did enjoy a minor rivalry with their Leeside counterparts, but it was nothing compared to the days gone by.

The formation of Cork City FC in 1984 and the election of Cobh Ramblers to the League of Ireland in 1985, revived the concept of a local derby in Ireland’s Second City. Their first league meeting was in October 1988 and City hammered their local rivals 3-0 at Turner’s Cross. Three months later, the Rebel Army slipped passed the Rams with a 1-0 victory St. Coleman’s Park, and in March 1989 they drew 1-1 in the return fixture at The Cross.

The two teams met again in the 1993-94 Premier Division season. The first meeting, at Turner’s Cross that October, saw the Rebel Army win 1-0. The away game is one of the most memorable games in the history of Cobh Ramblers, who beat City 2-1 on St. Stephen’s Day at Coleman’s Park. The Rebel Army could not get revenge on the final day of the season, as the two teams drew 2-2 in Turner’s Cross.



After Cobh were relegated in 1995, the two teams had to wait thirteen years to meet again in the league.

The meetings in 2008 saw a two draws and a 5-0 win in favor of Cork City.  Their last derby date that season, the infamous 1-1 draw, began a fight for survival for both clubs, a wall threaded battle field in the history of Cork football.

But, against the 89 years of history, the two clubs walked a different path. Both teams were rebuilt through their local communities, with fans group FORAS saving Cork City and the Cobh Ramblers Cooperative Society transforming the Rams in 2019.

When the two teams meet on Friday evening at Turner’s Cross, two fan own teams from the same county will face one another.

    About Dylan O'Connell

    Dylan is a freelance journalist based in Cork. He joined Extratime in 2016 and he covers games all across Ireland. His bylines include The Echo, Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, The 42, RTÉ Sport, and Irish … View Full Profile