On this historic weekend with all counties, for the first time, playing championship football, there is irony that half-lost in the fixtures’ deluge is one that in its heyday commanded national attention all by itself.
Apart from the winter championship of 2020 when a famous last-minute goal by Mark Keane beat Kerry – and by the Covid protocols of knock-out football, eliminated them – Cork have known only the mitigation of the 2015 draw in a decade’s football. Cork's Brian O'Driscoll scores a goal in the victory over Louth at Páirc Tailteann, Navan. Photograph: Lorraine O'Sullivan/Inpho
Des Cullinane was a selector last year and has managed under-age Cork teams as well as UCC. He believes that returning to Division One should be a priority. The transition process isn’t working though. As Cullinane says: “The gap between under-17 and senior, we’re not really addressing but there’s a lot of work going on and you’d hope that will pay off in the future.”
The balance of sports in the county isn’t enormously skewed and both football and hurling have a strong presence, maybe 60-40 hurling to football but the balance of affections is more like 90-10.