‘WE ARE GOING UP’

FROM 2017 to 2026, Cork have spent ten seasons outside Division 1. But the Rebels are now back in the top tier for the first time since 2016. ‘This is where Cork football should be. It’s ten years too long,’ said Cork forward Seán McDonnell after they guaranteed their return to the top flight. ‘We are going up,’ the Cork footballers sang after the win against Tyrone; a fitting reward for a superb league campaign. For the four players who were part of the Cork team in 2016 – Brian Hurley, Ian Maguire, Brian O’Driscoll and Ruairí Deane – this is a moment they have worked towards. Cork have improved under John Cleary, but to take the next step they must face top opposition regularly. In 2027, games against Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, Armagh and Meath await. Cork are where they should be.

CROKE PARK DATE

This Sunday’s Division 2 final against Meath is only Cork’s third outing in Croke Park in four years, underlining how rare appearances at GAA HQ have been for the Rebels’ footballers in recent times. The more they play in the capital, the better team they will become. The last time Cork won in the big house was in the 2015 Division 1 semi-final against Donegal (4-11 to 0-19). It’s great to get there, but Cork need victories in Croke Park too. Bantry Blues youngster Dara Sheedy has already had a standout campaign, and it will be his first time playing on the Croke Park turf. Another positive in a progressive campaign.

CONSISTENCY, AT LAST

A trait associated with Cork football teams in recent years is a lack of consistency. One week, Cork could enjoy a big win; the next, a damaging defeat. 2026 is a different story, however. From Cork’s ten games this year, including the McGrath Cup, John Cleary’s side have won eight matches. The only losses have come to Derry and when they fielded a more rotational outfit against Limerick. Notable wins came not just away to Tyrone, but also on the road against Louth and Kerry, as well as at home to Meath and Cavan. There was never any doubt Cork had the quality, but they needed to back it up with a run of results rather than one-off performances.

Steven Sherlock.

SECOND-HALF SUCCESS

For the first time in the league this year, Cork outscored their opponents in the second half, and did so on the most crucial day of all: when they needed a result to get promoted to Division 1. The Leesiders played with a strong wind at their backs in that second period against Tyrone, but it was a stage of the season where Cork needed to deliver. Across both halves, they matched and beat the 2021 All-Ireland champions in their own backyard. They may have needed two-pointers from Steven Sherlock and Brian Hurley to get over the line, but the bottom line is they secured the win required to seal promotion.

BIZARRE SCORE

Can Brian Hurley trademark his two-pointer score? The Castlehaven man’s effort from 40 metres with four minutes remaining looked to have dropped short, but a wicked bounce deceived Tyrone goalkeeper Oisín O’Kane and carried the ball over the bar. Kerry’s Seán O’Shea did score an unusual two-pointer against Mayo when he kicked it off the ground from play, but this Hurley effort was as unique as they come. Not only was it a memorable score, it came at a crucial time too. It pushed Cork 0-21 to 0-16 ahead, a margin Tyrone couldn’t claw back.