Eager Egan the pride of Kilbrin

TO appreciate the scale of William Egan’s achievement in bagging a starting spot for Cork next Sunday, you have to understand where he has come from.

In the Cork defensive unit, Egan’s hurling background makes him stand out. He is surrounded in the Rebels rearguard by luminaries from senior clubs but Egan hails from Kilbrin, a junior dot on the county’s hurling map, just off the N72 that separates Mallow and Killarney.

He may not have come from hurling aristocracy but that has not hindered the development of the 20 year-old. Sunday sees him become the first Kilbrin player to start for Cork in the heat of senior hurling championship. Pat Field featured for the Cork U21’s in 1978 with Donal Sheehan following suit in 1983 but Egan has broken new senior ground for Kilbrin.