Kieran Shannon: Cork fans daring to believe in the great escape from Division 2

Of course they need to start with a win against Cavan. And that won’t be easy. 

DRIVING ON: Cork's powerhouse midfielder Colm O'Callaghan drives past Kerry's Cillian Trant in last Saturday's McGrath Cup final, the Rebels' first competitive win in Killarney since 1995. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Last Wednesday while he was waiting on two loads of concrete to be dropped off at the construction business he runs in Donoughmore, John McSweeney took a deep breath and not so much launched a new podcast into the world as made a confession: I’m addicted to the Cork footballers and experiencing what must be something of a mid-life crisis.

“You know the deal,” he’d elaborate. “Hit 50 and some fellas go off and buy a sports car or Harley Davidson. But I’m going to go off the deep end here and talk into the internet wilderness about the Cork footballers. No Ferrari here. Just pure unfiltered GAA torment.”