Pa Cronin’s big bang theory

Even in hurling, multi-skilled sport and all that it is, every team still needs a bruiser or two, a big banger who can take and give the knocks in the rough-and-tumble of the all-important possession battles around the half-forward and half-back war zones.

As they get ready for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Dublin, Cork are now very well served up front in that department, newcomer Seamus Harnedy on one wing, team captain Pa Cronin on the other.

For a while this year in the lead-up to Cork’s first Munster championship game, against Clare, one of those was missing-in-action. Ironically, it was one such big bang that saw Pa Cronin end up in hospital for nearly two weeks; even more ironically, that bang might well have saved the big Bishopstown star from more serious damage.