The winner of the August Rebel Og Award is the Cork U17 hurlers following their success in winning Munster and All-Ireland titles. 
AUGUST 2017 WINNERS

CORK U17 HURLERS

Winners of the Munster and All-Ireland Titles

The Cork U17 Hurling Squad under coach John Considine, a former Sars and Cork Hurling Star, lifted the U17 All-Ireland Title recently with a two point victory over Dublin on a scoreline of 1-19 to 1-17, are the August 2017 winners of the Rebel Óg Monthly Awards sponsored by the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cummins Sports (Award Sponsors) with RedFM and The Evening Echo (Media Partners).  

Winning Campaign Synopsis 

 Cork 0-16 v Limerick 0-06

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 11th April 2017

Cork dominated this Munster Championship quarter-final from start to finish.  Limerick started short a couple of their u18 side and struggled to match Cork.  From the start Cork generated ample scoring opportunities but poor shoot selection and a lack of composure meant Cork only led 0-07 to 0-02 at half-time.  Any chance of a Limerick revival was finished when they were reduced to 14 men immediately after the break.  Daire Connery and the remainder of the defence kept Limerick to six points for the hour.  If Cork had not shot 17 wides then the margin of victory would have been greater.
Cork 2-22 v Tipperary 2-09

Pairc Ui Rinn, Cork, 18th April 2017

Cork and Tipperary served up an exciting and high quality Munster semi-final.  Every time Cork opened a gap on the scoreboard, a combination of lapses in concentration by Cork and Tipperary resilience resulted in Tipperary closing the gap.  However, a storming finish by Cork resulted in a 13 point victory margin.
Cork 3-13 v Waterford 1-12

Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 25th April 2017

Cork won the u17 Munster hurling final after a tense battle with Waterford in Fraher Field.  The quality of hurling was not helped by the condition and, as a result, the game never hit the heights that might have been expected.  Cork started the game strongly playing into the cold wind and opened up a 1-04 to 0-01 gap.  However, they allowed Waterford to steadily get back into the game.  At the break Waterford led 1-09 to 1-08.  Cork regrouped and, playing with the wind, took the game to Waterford.  Two gaols by Owen McCarthy proved crucial.  Cork missed a penalty and a number of other chances, however, these misses did not prove crucial as Cork kept Waterford to 3 points in the second half.
Cork 1-19 v Galway 1-17

Semple Stadium, Thurles, 26th July 2017

Cork advanced to the All-Ireland final after a narrow victory over Galway.  Despite playing into a strong breeze Cork started well and were three points to one up after six minutes.  Galway worked their way into the game and were leading by 0-09 to 0-06 as halftime approached.  However, a goal and a point by Colin O’Brien sent Cork in ahead at halftime.  Galway hit four points in the first eight minutes of the second half to open up a three point lead.  Cork steadily reduced the Galway lead and went ahead with 10 minutes remaining.  A Galway goal on 26 minutes tied up the game.  However, Cork kept their composure and three late Colin O’Brien points saw them over the line.
Cork 1-19 v Dublin 1-17

Croke Park, Dublin, 6th August 2017

Cork’s All-Ireland final victory followed a similar pattern to their All-Ireland final victory over Galway.  After a good start, Cork fell behind but a goal before halftime put Cork a point up at the break.  Cork were the dominant team in the second half but struggled to shake off a Dublin team that was reduced to 14 men after 12 minutes of the second half.  Dublin’s excellent use of the ball meant that they hit only two wides over the hour.  As in the semi-final Cork triumphed on a scoreline of 1-19 to 1-17.
The Munster campaign was run off over three successive Tuesdays in April.  A long delay followed from then until the 26th July for the All Ireland Semi Final v Galway.  Seven of the panel were involved during that period in a thrilling Munster Minor campaign defeating Waterford, had a draw following extra time in Thurles v Tipperary before winning the replay 4 days later in front of over 8,000 supporters in Páirc Uí Rinn and 6 days later defeating Clare in the Munster Final.
Interesting that in the All Ireland Semi Final and Final both winning and defeated sides scores were identical.
During the Munster and All Ireland series, team management used a different captain for each of the five games, Jack Hallahan (Cloyne) captained the side against Limerick, but injury ruled him out of the remaining games in the campaign.  Daire Connery (Na Piarsaigh) was captain for the Páirc Uí Rinn encounter v Tipperary.  In Dungarvan for the Munster Final, Conor O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe) had the honour of lifting the Munster trophy.  Carrigtwohill’s Aaron Walsh Barry was captain for the All-Ireland semi-final v Galway at Thurles which the Bride Rovers twins, Eoin and Brian Roche captained the side on All Ireland Final day at Croke Park.  Five different match day venues, five successful captains and a campaign that ended with the inaugural Under 17 All Ireland finding its home in Cork.  
Team that lined out in Final

1Eoin Davis St. Catherines

2 Eoin Roche Bride Rovers

3 Ciaran Nyhan Ballinascarthy 

4 Ronan Sheehan Mallow

 5 Cormac O’Brien Newtownshandrum

6 Conor O’CallaghanDromtarriffe    

7 Aaron Barry Walsh Carrigtwohill

8 Daire Connery Na Piarsaigh

9 Sean Twomey Courcey Rovers

10 Tommy O’Connell Midleton

11 Declan Hanlon Blarney    

12 Brian Roche Bride Rovers

13 Blake Murphy Na Piarsaigh

14 Joe Stack Castlemartyr                        

15 Colin O’Brien Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels

Subs: (16)  Luke Donovan (Na Piarsaigh),  (17) Jamie Copps (Ballyhea),  

(18) Sean O’Sullivan (Midleton), (19) Ronan McCarthy (St. Oliver Plunketts), (20) Liam Ryan (Iniscarra), (21) Killian Murphy (Sarsfields), (22) Shane O’Regan (Watergrasshill), 

(23) Owen McCarthy (Inniscarra), (24) Shane Barrett (Blarney). 
Extra Panel Members;

Darragh Moran (Castlemartyr) Cian Farmer (Midleton)

Con O’Leary (Inniscarra) Eoin McCarthy (Kilworth)

Sean McCarthy (Fermoy) Cian Crowley (Newmarket)
The following 4 either played or were part of the Munster Campaign

Kevin Finn (Midleton) Denis McBarron (Carrigaline)

Anthony Cronin (Glen Rovers) Ben O’Brien (St. Catherine’s)