All-Ireland winning boss Donal O'Grady joins Cork hurling set up

Former Munster player, Cathal Sheridan, has also joined the backroom team as a sport and performance psychologist 

Donal O'Grady managed Cork to an All-Ireland title in 2004

Former All-Ireland-winning manager Donal O’Grady has joined Cork’s senior hurling management group to work on analysis and coaching, manager Kieran Kingston has confirmed

Sport and performance psychologist Cathal Sheridan has also joined Kingston’s backroom team.

“We’re delighted to have Donal join the Cork senior hurling management team,” Kingston said.

“He brings a huge amount of winning experience to the group. He is brilliant with players and has worked with his own club in recent years.

“People will know his work as a pundit with television, radio and print, he knows the scene very well, and we feel he is a huge addition to the backroom team and to the playing group as well.” 

Kingston described Cathal Sheridan as “a welcome addition,” adding: “He brings huge enthusiasm, he has a fantastic CV for a young man, and he wants to be part of the development of this young panel into the future.

“Even in a short space of time his energy and commitment have been infectious for all those who have come into contact with him, albeit via Zoom calls. We feel he will be a huge positive influence on what is a young panel.” 

Cork’s 2021 senior panel features seven players over the age of 25, and 21 players under 23. 

It’s understood that Aidan O’Connell, Cork GAA’s director of high performance, has also been more closely involved in preparing the players physically for the coming season, albeit remotely.

Donal O’Grady managed Cork to the All-Ireland senior hurling title in 2004 and then stepped down.

Since then he has been involved with club sides including St Finbarr’s, his own club, and Cloyne, while he was also joint-manager of Limerick in 2013 with TJ Ryan.

O’Grady is a long-time columnist with this newspaper and an analyst with The Sunday Game and TG4. 

In his playing days he enjoyed huge success with St Finbarr’s in hurling and football and won a senior All-Ireland medal with Cork in the Centenary All-Ireland final in 1984.

He was a selector when Cork won the All-Ireland in 1986, when current manager Kingston lined out in the forward line.

When O’Grady took over as Cork manager in 2003 he introduced tactics which revolutionised the game of hurling, with Cork retaining possession as much as possible and working the ball through the lines.

Sligo native Cathal Sheridan enjoyed a professional rugby career with Munster before moving into the field of sports and performance psychology. Ger Cunningham and Diarmuid O’Sullivan remain as selectors with Cork, with former Clare ‘keeper Christy O’Connor also continuing in a coaching role.