Ring revels after ‘fantasy performance’ for Cork U21s

“A fantasy performance,” said Cork U21 manager Denis Ring.

Seven clear after 14 minutes, the winners were 10 in front come the interval break. Within three minutes of the restart, they had opened up a 2-12 to 0-6 lead. Game over.

Driving the players was the sense of “unfinished business” having fallen at the Munster minor semi-final juncture three years ago.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” said Ring. “You don’t always get what you deserve, but these guys deserve this. Three years ago, they were very disappointed.

"We lost to Limerick in a Munster semi-final and two years ago, Tipperary beat us in the second-half of the Munster minor semi-final. From our perspective, it was fantastic to come back. There was a lot of unfinished business.

“Shane Kingston was telling me that he was very surprised to be captain. He was minor captain three years ago, missed the semi-final defeat to Limerick because of injury. We said there was unfinished business and that we were going to put it right.”

@OfficialCorkAA are @MunsterGAA U-21 Hurling Champions for 2018 pic.twitter.com/arId4F94vi

— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 4, 2018

Ring paid tribute to the seven players who were part of the senior panel for the manner in which they forewent Sunday night’s celebrations. He singled out Darragh Fitzgibbon, who started here despite being “very sick”.

“How he played the senior final was amazing. He insisted on playing this. For the 20 minutes he was on, he made a significant contribution. He didn’t want to come off. That’s his character. It is nice to be in a dressing-room with fellas like that.

“People were wondering how would Sunday impact on the U21 guys who are in with the seniors. I was laughing in my own mind when I heard this because I know these lads inside out."

"It might impact with other guys, they might have gone celebrating. These guys did anything but. These are fellas we would go to war with.”