Cork are now second tier, says Seán Óg

CORK have slipped into the “second tier” of hurling counties, according to Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, who warned yesterday it may be the middle of the decade before the Rebels are in a position to challenge for major honours again.

The Na Piarsaigh club man is no longer a member of Denis Walsh’s panel and has accepted that the next few years are going to be about rebuilding rather than rejoicing.

“If you look at last year’s championship, and especially Cork’s exit, you would have to say that Cork are in the second tier. I couldn’t see Cork competing against the likes of Kilkenny and Tipperary the way they played in the All-Ireland and that’s being honest.

“Cork are going through a rebuilding phase. There are new faces being looked at, which probably was going to come anyway and needed to come. A lot of the players that were mainstays from 2000 or whatever, you are talking about 10 years.”

This weekend’s visit to Nowlan Park will be a useful barometer as to just where Cork stand. It will be their first trip to the Marble City since being humiliated by 27 points on their return from strike action in 2009.

Ó hAilpín didn’t line out that afternoon, on what was the side’s first day back from strike, but he has spent long enough in Cork dressing rooms to know that such a dire day at the office will not be far from his former colleagues’ thoughts come throw-in.

“It was live on TG4 and the difference was around 30 points in the end or whatever. I’m sure the Cork team going on Sunday and the guys that were involved that day, they will probably have that in the back of their mind somewhat.

“I think Sunday’s game is a different kind of circumstances to the game two years ago because that was at the end of a bitter strike. This is going to be a straightforward game, there is not going to be any baggage going into the game.”

As for Ó hAilpín himself, he has moved on since his unwilling demotion, one which was followed by his brother Aisake’s decision to follow suit of his own accord and return to Australia after one year back with the senior hurlers.

“Aisake is his own man. Of all the brothers, he’s probably more head-strong than the rest of us and that’s a decision that Aisake made himself. I said to Aisake, ‘you’re old enough now, don’t let yourself waver in your thinking, if you want to stay on, drive on or whatever’.

“He went back. He was strong enough and there was no input from anyone. He’s mature enough at this stage and old enough to make up his own mind. He’s gone back and he’s playing Aussie Rules, working away. He’s happy, that’s the main thing.”