No longer a 'laughing stock': Glen Rovers looking for third Cork crown in six years 

Donal Cronin of Glen Rovers following the Cork Premier SHC semi-final win over Erins Own. The 36-year-old is looking for a third county medal since 2015. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

No longer a “laughing stock”, but still the Glen must prove themselves, says midfielder Donal Cronin.

Having made his championship debut all of 19 years ago, Cronin is as well placed as any to parse the club’s journey from perceived “soft touch” to perennial challengers.

A long, long way removed from their regular involvement in the Cork decider of recent years, the 36-year-old can remember back to a time when the Glen could easily have found themselves in the unspeakable position of suffering demotion to the intermediate ranks.

Thankfully for the men from Blackpool, relegation was not introduced by the county board until the following year, 2006, by which point Cronin and company had been shocked into a state of sufficient competitiveness.

“The first 10 years were a bit of a struggle,” he says, reflecting on his 20 seasons in green, black, and gold.

We weren't competitive. We were probably the laughing stock for a long time. We were probably seen as a bit of a soft touch within the county.

“There's fierce pride and spirit in the club, but you can only talk about those things when you are at the business end year-in, year-out and you are proving you have those qualities. Talk is cheap until you go and deliver. And we weren't delivering for a long time.”

As is well documented by now, the wheel began to turn for Glen Rovers with a first county final appearance in 19 years in 2010. The result may not have gone for them, no more than four years later in 2014, but they had at least reasserted themselves within Cork hurling circles.

No longer were they a laughing stock or soft touch. Neither, mind you, were they far away from the mountain top.

County championship glory was achieved in 2015 and '16, their long and winding climb to the summit complete.

“We have put a belief back in the place. You can see the underage is thriving now. We are getting players through all the time and that is because they look up to the guys that are here. Of course, it helps that you have one of the best hurlers in the country playing here in Patrick Horgan. You also have Stephen McDonnell who captained Cork to a Munster Championship a couple of years ago, and Robert Downey is probably going to go on to great things with Cork.

“The main thing is those young players see us being competitive. That is really important for the club as a whole and for those who may not have an association with the club directly to bring their kids down.

“In terms of sponsorship and generating income, you have to be successful in order to develop the facilities and stuff. The last couple of years, that has been the case.

"We have given the place a lift that was badly needed."

The long-serving Cronin declares it “vitally important” they return back across the Christy Ring Bridge tomorrow evening with the Seán Óg Murphy Cup in tow.

Two final wins from six appearances, should they come off second best to the Rockies, is not a record he’d be particularly proud of.

“I've played in five, won two. It’s fine to get there, but we are to the point now where we need to win them to really cement turning the tide in terms of Glen Rovers being back and being successful again.

“[Two wins from six] doesn't sit well with me and it is not going to sit well with others. You'll be remembered as, 'yeah, they won two, they were a good team, but were they a great team?'.

We need to go and win more, and maybe not just this year.

“The crop of players there, they are not always going to come along. When is the next time we are going to have a Patrick Horgan or a Brian Moylan or a Stephen McDonnell, so you have to make hay while the sun shines. It's fine getting to the final, but, at the end of the day, they are all about winning.”

Cronin, as ever, will be attempting to do his bit from midfield, a position you’d think would be somewhat taxing for a 36-year-old with 20 seasons in the legs.

He’s learned to be smart in his movement.

“Graham Callanan, who captained us in '15 and '16 and is now a selector, passed a comment to me recently. 'People think you run a lot, you don't. It is just you know where to run', he said.

“Being smart, I suppose that is experience. This is my 20th season. If I hadn't picked up something along the way, I wouldn't still be getting picked.”