Plenty reasons for Cork to be upbeat

Have a look back over Conor Counihan’s lengthy interview with this newspaper back in September and the mass exodus from the senior football panel over the last three months no longer seems so startling.

From October 17 to November 18, 31 days, Cork lost seven players. Not just any ordinary seven players, either — seven who featured in the 2010 All-Ireland final.

Excluding Ciarán Sheehan, six of them retired, Noel O’Leary the first to announce followed by Paudie Kissane then captain Graham Canty, Pearse O’Neill, Alan Quirke and finally Alan O’Connor.