MOMENTS after the final hooter in Omagh announced Cork’s return to Division 1 – after a decade outside the top flight – Brian Hurley and Ruairí Deane shared an embrace.

Two stalwarts who know the significance of the Rebels’ promotion back to Broadway, after ten years of performing on smaller stages.

‘It's been a long, hard journey,’ Hurley explained after Cork’s three-point win away to Tyrone sealed their ticket out of Division 2. At last.

Minutes earlier, the rejoicing Rebels had come together on the pitch to celebrate.

‘We are going up!’ they sang.

For Hurley, and three more of the experienced crew, they are going back to an old stomping ground. Along with Ruairí Deane, Brian O’Driscoll and Ian Maguire, Hurley has strutted his stuff in Division 1 before. In fact, all four started in Cork’s last Division 1 match – an away loss to Kerry in April 2016. Hurley kicked 0-6 that day, Brian O’Driscoll chipped in with 0-1.

But the journey back to Division 1 hasn’t been straightforward. There was the one season in Division 3 that all Cork fans would rather forget. Too many relegation scraps in Division 2. Too many false dawns. But this season feels different: a consistent Cork have earned their place in the top tier with six wins in seven games, including victories over Meath and Tyrone.

Hurley’s been through the wars, too, since the Rebels last competed in Division 1.

After two serious injuries in the space of one year – ripping the same hamstring off the bone twice (2016 and 2017) – the Castlehaven man was told he’d never play at the highest level again.

In 2027, Hurley will line out in Division 1 again. The Rebels are back where they belong, he insists. And he never doubted he’d return to this level.

‘No, I didn't. If my body played ball with me I would have liked to have been there a bit earlier, but all you can do is really put the best version of yourself towards the team,’ he said, after coming off the bench to kick 0-4 in the must-win final-round game away to Tyrone.

He turns 34 next week, but Hurley continues to prove his worth. Class is permanent, like his enthusiasm and passion for the game.

The Haven hero has been one of the county’s standout sharpshooters of the past decade, but success has been scarce at inter-county level.

Hurley made his senior debut after Cork last won the Munster senior football title in 2012. It’s been slim pickings on the trophy count ever since. There’s a chance for John Cleary’s crew to get their hands on silverware this Sunday with the Division 2 league final against Meath in Croke Park – that would be the perfect present for Hurley ahead of his birthday next Thursday.

But the real prize here is Division 1 football in 2027.

‘Cork football needs to be back in Division 1, and that's coming from a player and a fan like myself,’ he insisted.

‘When I grew up Cork were always Division 1 so it's great to see the boys, all the hard work paying off, and we're back where we belong,’ Hurley said afterwards.

‘I started out in Division 1. Don't get me wrong, Division 2 is as tough as it gets, but when you're playing the top teams and All-Ireland contenders week in, week out, that's where you want to be.

‘I love challenging myself, the boys do too. And if you're going to be playing the best and marking the best, it'll bring you on a bit as well.’

Hurley’s joy at promotion goes deeper than most, because along with Deane, O’Driscoll and Maguire, they have endured testing times. They know this is just one step in a journey for Cork football, but it’s a notable step forward. At last.

Look at Bantry man Deane – involved with Cork since 2014, dropped off the panel in 2022, but played his way back on again the following year. He turns 35 later this year, but still makes the weekly commute to training from Castletownbere, where he is acting deputy principal of Scoil Phobail Bhéara. That’s commitment. So days like last Sunday should be celebrated.

Brian O’Driscoll was let go from the Cork football panel in 2018 before John Cleary brought him back on board for the 2023 campaign. Since then, the Caheragh man, who turns 32 next month, has emerged as one of the Rebels’ most consistent players.

The tough days have outnumbered the good days for Cork footballers in the last decade, so they should celebrate moments like this, but also use it as the spark for bigger and better days.

‘Relief is the word, really,’ John Cleary, said after Cork confirmed their promotion, the Castlehaven man succeeding where several Cork managers have come up short in the past decade.

‘But satisfaction as well. Because there was an awful lot of hard work that's been put in there in the last three years.

‘And maybe we weren't ready. And I think we were ready this time. And it would have been a big blow to us if we hadn't come out with a victory here today. Because it would have been back to square one, really.’

Instead of slipping back to the starting line, Cork now move up a level. But so too will the Rebels’ performance level to compete and survive amongst the game’s elite. Back where they belong, it gets harder from here, but that’s the challenge – players like Hurley and Deane and O’Driscoll and Maguire embrace that. It’s why they keep coming back for more.