Hurling in crisis at every level in Cork

When Cork’s status in the hurling world is debated in bars and online chatrooms, the fall of traditional city powerhouses is cited as a contributory factor in the decline of the county side.

This is shorthand for the failure of the traditional ‘big three’ of Blackrock, Glen Rovers and St Finbarr’s to win county titles, but far below the top flight clubs at the sharper end are fighting for their existence.

In the past decade or so, outfits like Shandon Rovers, Gurranabraher and Fr O’Callaghan’s have disappeared, while many others are barely clinging on. Filling hurling teams is either a constant struggle or a lost cause, and while things are not as bad football-wise, they are still far from rosy.