CORK’S wait for a championship win at Croke Park goes on – and it is becoming a concern.

Since beating Galway at GAA HQ in 2013, the Rebels have played nine championship games at headquarters and lost them all – four to Dublin, two to Mayo and one each to Donegal, Tyrone and Derry.

It is a record that must change if Cork are to challenge consistently for the biggest prizes.

The Rebels also fell to Meath in this season’s Division 2 final at Croke Park. Another trip to the capital, another defeat.

Manager John Cleary knows that record has to improve and admitted his disappointment after the recent All-Ireland SFC quarter-final loss to Mayo.

‘This is the place to be playing and this is where titles are won and lost. It’s a great place to be but it also can be an unforgiving place to be,’ Cleary said.

‘In recent times, we haven’t had an awful lot of exposure to playing here in Croke Park. We’ve been here twice this year and we didn’t get over the line in either of them. Hopefully, the experience will stand to these lads going forward.'

Despite that disappointment, Cork can reflect on a campaign that delivered ten wins from 14 competitive games, promotion to Division 1 for the first time since 2016 and memorable championship victories over Meath and Donegal.

While an All-Ireland semi-final proved beyond them, there is clear evidence of progress.

‘In the days and weeks to come, we might be looking at the 2026 season. We won’t be looking at the season until things settle down. We’re just disappointed that we lost to Mayo. That’s the only thing on our mind at the moment,’ Cleary said.

Cork’s lack of experience at Croke Park showed at key moments against Mayo. Two costly three-up infringements handed Ryan O’Donoghue scoring opportunities, with his score just before half-time denying Cork the chance to take a lead into the interval before he punished the same mistake again in the second half.

‘The one before half-time was particularly hard. We looked like going in two points up. Facing a kick-out down the field might have been another score. All those little things add up,’ Cleary said.

Wayward shooting also proved costly.

‘We seemed to pull the trigger a little bit too quickly. We tried to chase the game too quickly and became frustrated. That was the reason we had a lot of wides. Our execution was poor today.

‘There were some scores that we should have taken but other times our lads were under big pressure.

‘Give credit to Mayo as well. Their defence was excellent and they were very efficient at the other end. Any time they went up, they were more efficient.

‘We couldn’t seem to get on terms and we were shooting under pressure. Lads got frustrated then. The more wides we had, the more the pressure came on. It was one of those days that we didn’t perform.’

Promotion to Division 1 and the championship victory over Donegal in Ballybofey ensured there were significant positives to take from the campaign.

The next challenge is to turn those gains into sustained progress by establishing themselves in Division 1 and ensuring that, the next time they return to Croke Park, they are better equipped to end a losing run that has now stretched to ten games.