O’Halloran can’t wait to get back to work

We’re about to start the interview in the Rochestown Park Hotel when a woman comes up with her nephew.

‘Hi Ken, I couldn’t pass you without introducing this fella to you or he’d kill me.’ He smiles. Talks with the young lad for a minute. Wishes them well and sits down.

It’s the build up that kills players. O’Halloran says he’s used of it now but that doesn’t mean he likes it. Cork had a 10-week wait between their last league game against Dublin and first championship outing at Páirc Uí Chaoimh against Tipperary. That was tough. But these final days leading up to the Kerry game are the hardest.