It could happen again but not in the short term. Or maybe it could. Alright, stop the flip-flopping.
What we’re on about is whether we’ll see both Sam Maguire and Liam MacCarthy winter in the same county any time soon. Dual counties with the numbers to achieve that are few.
There’s Galway, there’s Dublin and down south we have Cork. Of the trio, the Tribes look best equipped as of now to do the double, something they missed out on in 2001 when their hurlers fell at the final hurdle. Some consolation followed when the Pádraic Joyce-inspired footballers delivered Sam.
Eleven years before that and Cork famously did the ‘double’. As underdogs, hurling manager Fr Michael O’Brien oversaw a thrilling victory against Galway. A fortnight later, Billy Morgan’s side made it back-to-back football wins, when edging Meath in a contest where much spite was in the air. The Rebels were the toast of the GAA world, masters of all they surveyed after a summer where Italia ’90 gripped the nation.
And while Fr O’Brien and Morgan led their charges on that victory parade through Cork City, you were reminded that what’s rare is wonderful. Football and hurling sharing equal billing in Ireland’s largest county. For it’s a land where the small ball rules the roost.
Where are the hurling and football strongholds in Ireland?
It was Christy Ring who famously said: “Hurling should be encouraged in Cork by sticking a knife in every football east of Bandon”. In a more crude elaboration ‘Ringer’ reminded everybody that there was “no skill” in football.
Christy Ring’s inter-county career spanned four decades
Hurling country in Cork looms large in the city, more so north of the River Lee, in the east of the county and near the Limerick border. The football heartland covers less of an area, that is West Cork and near the Kerry border.
Not surprisingly in terms of silverware, hurling has a greater imprint on the All-Ireland roll of honor: 30 titles compared to football’s seven. By the time of Cork’s third football win in 1945, the other code had already amassed 15. Underage and college success is also due mainly to the exploits of the hurlers.
Revered names like Jack Lynch, Christy Ring, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, John Fenton, and Dónal Óg Cusack only added to hurling’s allure there, though Lynch and Barry-Murphy did savour Sam Maguire glory.
And then there’s the colour, that sea of red and white on big matchdays. But it’s to the hurling the Cork masses flock. And the numbers are growing. Over 30,000 attended the recent league clash against Tipperary and Cork’s games in last year’s competition accounted for nearly half of all those who walked through the turnstiles.
A section of the Cork crowd at last year’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final
In Championship 2025, Cork certainly turned out in force, through the Munster round-robin and onwards to the provincial final, all before the All-Ireland series at Croke Park. It would end in disappointment, but still the Rebel faithful believe. Ben O’Connor has presided over a perfect start to the year. Supporters, no doubt, remaining steadfast that the long wait for Liam, and it is a long wait, will end soon.
No such expectations on delivering the big prize in football, though. Since 1945, Cork’s All-Ireland wins, aside from the 1989-90 triumphs, are fairly well spread out. Evidence, if evidence was needed, as to their efforts, but also in having to live with a powerful neighbour: Kerry. And, to a lesser extent: Dublin.
In 1973, after ending what was a 28-year wait for an All-Ireland crown, the Rebels were expected to lead the way in the years that followed. They didn’t factor on Kevin Heffernan revitalising the Dubs, however, and then Mick O’Dwyer introducing a new breed of Kerry young guns.
After being under the Kingdom thumb for so long in Munster, they would eventually emerge. Genuine contenders again. It was their chance to shine and so came those All-Ireland wins, with a little outside help from Kildare. Tompkins and Fahy, a revered duo on Leeside.
Cork’s Daniel Goulding (l) and Colm O’Neill lift the Sam Maguire in 2010
It’s 2010 since Cork last won the big prize, Conor Counihan overseeing a project that was good enough to yield an even greater return. No-shows against their neighbours in deciders in the years leading up threatened to drain away confidence. Cork held their nerve against Down when it mattered. Job done, but no more than that.
Since then, the Rebels have not really left their mark at the business end of the All-Ireland race. Their exits not a subject of much interest to be honest. Even in the depths of Covid and that ambush of Kerry in the Munster semi-final, they fell below expectations in succumbing to Tipp in the final.
It’s ten years since they last occupied a place in Division 1 of the league. And since then they’ve even sampled life in the third tier.
But are things about to look up? Three games played in Division 2 and full points on the board. Páirc Uà Rinn is the venue this afternoon for a top-of-the-table clash with Meath. A meeting of two counties with a bit of history from that 1987-90 period.
Cork boss John Cleary (above) was in the thick of it on the field of play back then. The county were relevant back then and so can Cleary, on the back of extending his tenure by two years, push the Rebels back up that scale of significance?
Away assignments in Derry and Tyrone will be further tests in Cork’s desire for promotion. Nothing easy then, but having Stephen Sherlock back involved gives them an added weapon in attack, where Seán McDonnell, Mark Cronin and Chris Óg Jones can also keep the scoreboard ticking.
At this time of the year, it’s only natural to look at targets and Cork are eyeing Division 1, as well as a place in the Munster final. Meath certainly cut a dash in their run to the All-Ireland semi in 2025. And the Rebels will feel why can’t we cut a similar swathe? Achieve that and most will then sit up and truly take notice.
Watch highlight of the weekend’s Allianz Football League action on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 9.35pm.