A tough task in store to lift the gloom on Leeside

YESTERDAY’S defeat at the hands of Tipperary brought more pain and frustration for Cork supporters, who only 12 months ago enjoyed a double-digit hammering of the same opposition.

Tipperary improved from that performance last year and won the All-Ireland; Cork never reached those heights again.

There was a rare gloom among many Cork supporters in the build-up to yesterday’s game, one that goes beyond doubts about a team selection, and that gloom provokes wider questions, principally whether or not hurling is in decline in Cork.