Cork SFC: All change again in Duhallow

Pádraig Kearns knew what he was letting himself in for. Mind you, knowing what the task entails doesn’t make the job any easier.

Managing a divisional team, even one with as proud a history as Duhallow, bears no resemblance to taking charge of your local club side. Training sessions are less frequent, the turnover of players can be frustratingly high, and, of those able to commit, they often arrive into the dressing-room on match-Sunday having pulled on the club jersey the evening previous.

Take last Sunday evening in Macroom as an example. Duhallow faced Valley Rovers in the Cork SFC quarter-final. The game represented Duhallow’s first championship outing in 15 weeks. From the starting team which had trounced Seandún way back in mid-June, there were four changes for the meeting with Valley Rovers, all enforced.