THE June bank holiday offers many of us a little bit of downtime as we head into the summer, and few will have appreciated the break more than the Cork senior football squad.

Indeed, when I bumped into a member of the panel on my weekend travels west along, he was very appreciative of the chance to rest both mind and body. The new season is shorter and more intense, but that is a damn sight better than being flogged at training and crying out for more competitive games, as was often the case in the old days.

That said, the three-week break is welcome and also gives us a chance to have a look back at the Cork season so far.

The quick summary: a broadly positive season with promotion in the bag but the inability to claim success in either of two finals prohibits us from labelling the season a complete success.

Yes, we are aware that Cork did win silverware in the McGrath Cup in Killarney, but that title holds little water in the greater scheme of things.

Since that game, Cork have played 12 games between the national league and the championship to date, winning nine and losing three. In addition to the two finals defeats, there was the capitulation away to Derry in the league phase, which proved to be an aberration.

The highlights so far would be a comfortable win away to Louth after a fortuitous opening come-from-behind home win over Cavan, two excellent wins in Páirc Uí Rinn against Meath and a gutsy victory away to Tyrone that secured the long-coveted promotion back to Division 1 football.

That victory may well prove to be among Cork’s most important in recent memory, but we do very much lament Cork coming up short in both the Division 2 final in Croke Park against Meath and the Munster final in Killarney. Being back in the top tier is crucial for Cork football, however supporters and the long-serving players in the squad are crying out for tangible success in the form of silverware.

Sport is about many things, and enjoyment of our various journeys is part of the appeal, but at the highest levels, sport is a very competitive beast. When all is said and done, we want to be able to say we won a few medals along the way too. I was lucky enough to win a decent smattering of medals in my own playing career, more than I probably ever would have expected when I laced up my boots for my first Ross junior A game as a callow 16-year-old, but the failure to secure at least one more Celtic Cross or Cork county senior medal annoys me to this day.

That may strike some as greedy, though such is the lot for competitive sportspeople. I remember reading Kerry players from the same era bemoaning the loss to Dublin in 2011, and to be fair they probably should have seen that one out, but they more than claimed their fair share during their careers.

The Munster final in Killarney was a missed opportunity of sorts, but Kerry in Killarney with David Clifford in their side is a tough nut to crack unless, apparently, you are Jim McGuinness and Donegal.

It’s the league final against Meath that I would consider the greater missed opportunity, as I think there was a prevailing attitude around the county that it mattered little after promotion was secured. Opportunities to win silverware for Cork, in Croke Park or anywhere else, have been scarce since 2012, so the idea that the game was something of an afterthought galled me intensely. I’ve made the point before and I won’t dwell on it further, but so many members of the current squad deserve success before they finish in the red jersey.

For the 2026 season, the only silverware that remains up for grabs is the big one: the Sam Maguire trophy. Cork are outsiders among the 16 remaining teams, even though they guaranteed themselves one more lifeline with the win over Meath last time out. A quick look tells me that prices ranging from 25/1 to 33/1 are available for anyone who fancies that particular bet. For most, it’s a three-horse race between Kerry, Donegal and Armagh, with Galway and Tyrone best placed to be a threat from the pack.

Kerry’s injuries have certainly thrown the cat amongst the pigeons in the favourites market, with their route back to Croke Park taking them the scenic route.

On that note, I am going to park this column until Tuesday morning, when we will know what lies in store next for Cork, Kerry and everyone else. The new format may take some time to grow on people, but, trust me, what has been an excellent Gaelic football season is about to get even more interesting. Let’s wait and see what the morning and the draw brings us…

***

It’s the morning after the night before and the worst-case scenario has come to pass for Cork football followers: it’s Donegal away in Round 2A.

Google Maps tells me that the newly-reopened Ballybofey grounds are just under 430km from Cork Airport, let alone the distance from the south-western reaches of the county. Waiting at the other end of that journey are Jim McGuinness and the form team in the country, favourites now for the All-Ireland with many after they dismantled injury-hit Kerry.

We will look at the game in more detail next week, however for now we have a little griping to do. I’m not too upset about the fixture at hand, as it won’t be fatal to Cork’s chances one way or another, but the possibility of another away trip to places as far flung as Monaghan, Roscommon or Derry quickly afterwards seems scant reward for a team victorious in round one.

If there are going to be home and away games in Round 3, it should be given to the winners from the opening round. In truth, though, I believe that All-Ireland championship knockout games should all be in neutral venues, or at the very least earned through victories on the pitch as opposed to the luck of being drawn first out of a bowl.

The new format has yet to win over many fans, and vagaries such as what could befall Cork with two difficult and long away trips after winning in Round 1, won’t help that cause.

Cork can avoid that scenario, of course, by upsetting the odds in the north-west. It is a tall order, but to be the best, you have to beat the best. In this case, in their own backyard. We will preview the game in more detail next week.

Cork have had their downtime, it’s back to business now.