Corcoran ready to 'give it everything'

Brian Corcoran has seen it all - an All-Ireland minor football winner in 1991 and a three-time Liam McCarthy Cup champion - but despite his advancing years, the Erin's Own forward is still a vital cog in the Cork machine.

Sunday's All-Ireland SHC final between Kilkenny and the Rebels offers Corcoran a shot at his fourth Celtic Cross medal, and he intends on taking it.

The 34-year-old is Cork's most experienced player and tellingly their top scorer from play this summer with 1-6. It is no coincidence that Cork's 13-game unbeaten run in the championship under John Allen has seen Corcoran start every one of those ties at full-forward.

The men in red are unbeaten since they lost out to Waterford in the 2004 Munster final. Corcoran has been held scoreless only three times during the 13 victories since - against Tipperary, Wexford (both 2004) and Clare (2005).

Having lined out at left corner back in the 1992 All-Ireland SHC final against Kilkenny, at centre back in the 1999 decider against the Cats and full-forward in Cork's most recent All-Ireland wins (2004 and 2005), Corcoran has been there and done that.

The two-time Hurler of the Year is certainly hungry to remain at the top of the game, but it was not always that way.

'BC' admittedly got "tired of the game, the training and the running" and announced his retirement from inter-county hurling in August of 2001.

Ahead of his 38th championship appearance this weekend, Corcoran said: "In 2001 I was finding it hard to motivate myself so I took two years out and really if I hadn't, I wouldn't be playing now.

"It was watching that 2003 All-Ireland final (against Kilkenny) that motivated me to come back. Sitting in the stands that day, I thought to myself that this Cork team is going places and is going to win in 2004.

"The appetite was back (for me) - the big questions were if I could get fit and get a place back on the panel," he added.

"I hadn't held a hurley for about two-and-a-half years, had put on a stone in weight and lost my fitness. Getting back on the team would be a bonus - I wanted to come back as a forward because I wouldn't have had the engine for the back line - and these last two years with two All-Irelands have been fantastic."

Killkenny will be all out to reverse their final defeat in 2004, and Corcoran is ready to give yet another 100% performance at headquarters.

He added: "Teams are lining up behind us to win. You have to give it everything and I still want to do that.”