Derek McGrath: Cork must block out the noise and do what they know is right

The Cork brains trust of Kingston, O’Sullivan, Furlong, Mulcahy and O’Grady will have tried their best to ignore the outside world, but this can be difficult for a homegrown management team.

Sharpening his eyes: Cork manager Kieran Kingston watches his charges closely earlier this spring. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Reading my then 10-year-old son Fionn’s school books doesn’t normally provide me with moments of clarity, but a passage on Rosa Parks, the famous civil rights activist, delivered a crucible moment some years ago.

“I have learned,” she said, “that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear”.