WE may not be winning All-Ireland titles as often as we would like, but if the joy is in the chase, then we Cork supporters are totally spoiled.

BY TOM LYONS

Just look at the past week alone, wins for the minor footballers, the minor hurlers, the senior footballers and the senior hurlers.

The minor football Munster final win over Kerry was hard-earned but so welcome against a dominant Kingdom that have been threatening to pull out of sight in recent years in all grades. The method of the win in such atrocious conditions and extra time was extra special and greeted with great delight by the faithful band of Cork football supporters.

The minor hurlers, not very impressive in Munster, atoned in the All-Ireland series with a great comeback to beat Wexford and advance another step.

We all wondered how Cork senior hurlers, stricken by injuries to top players, would fare against a Clare side that wiped the floor with Tipperary last time out. Over 43,000 supporters packed into Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday to find out the answer.

Our first real summer hurling Sunday, the whole stadium a sea of red, ready to cheer on the Rebels in the usual tight battle with the Banner. Disappointingly, it never happened. Once Clare had missed the goal chances in the opening quarter, Damien Cahalane bravely sitting on the sliotar after a miraculous stop on the line, their challenge disintegrated and the second half was a procession.

But the highlight of our week was, undoubtedly, the footballers win against Meath. On Sunday, man-of-the-match Shane Barrett commented on playing at home in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and turning it into a fortress that other teams dreaded.

The best decision the footballers made this year was to take their home games to Páirc Uí Rinn. The Cork football support was being lost in Páirc Uí Chaoimh while the smaller stadium was packed with 8,000 football supporters who created a tremendous atmosphere. Not that we were noisy at half time as Cork seemed down and out, eight points adrift.

Again, after the collapse in Killarney, we didn’t know what to expect from Cork in response on Saturday, but they started well enough. The missed goal chance in the 20th minute burst our hope-filled balloon and Meath went down the pitch and kicked two two-pointers to grab the initiative, right in front of us.

What we didn’t realise sitting in the stand was the breeze on the pitch was fairly strong but how we rejoiced at Cork’s second-half performance. We were lucky to be sitting opposite the arc where Cork caught fire in the second half with their point-scoring.

What can we say of Steven Sherlock? Anonymous in Killarney, his two-pointers on Saturday that won the game for Cork were exquisite scores, beautifully struck and we cheered every one to the hilt. An incredible opening quarter of an hour after the break took us from eight down to three in front, when did we last see a Cork football team play like that? It just shows what they are capable of when they start winning kick-outs and go direct.

Calamity when Colm O’Callaghan was so harshly red-carded just when we were getting on top but the real story of this win was the fighting quality the team showed for the remainder of the game when down to 14 men.

Amazing celebrations all round, and thrilled to see the pitch invasion as the players were swamped by hordes of kids and adults alike. We are used to that with our hurlers but it was so special to see it for the footballers. Yes, we’ve seen bad days with our footballers but promotion and now progress in the All-Ireland championship must mean we’re on the right path.

Most important, as we trooped out of the stadium, we agreed that the footballers must remain in Páirc Uí Rinn and, like the hurlers in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, make Páirc Uí Rinn a fortress for Cork football.