Jack Cahalane: 'We've shown steel that hasn't really been shown in Cork for a long time'

Cork's Jack Cahalane with Galway goalkeeper Paddy Rabbitte and Shane Morgan. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

The steel shown by the Cork minor, U20, and senior teams this summer has disproved the notion that Cork hurling is soft, according to the county’s U20 winner Jack Cahalane.

Cahalane, who hit 1-1 during Wednesday's All-Ireland U20 final win, was extremely proud of the way Cork responded to Galway’s unanswered 1-4 at the beginning of the second-half which cut Cork’s 10-point interval lead to three by the 38th minute.

A Pádraig Power goal immediately after the Galway green flag put Cork back in the driving seat, with Pat Ryan’s young troops stretching their advantage out to 15 by the hour mark.

“It’s kind of been a bad habit of Cork hurling this year where they have been well ahead in games and they’ve let teams back into it. But I think from minor all the way up to senior, we've shown steel that hasn't really been shown in Cork for a long time and that is a massive positive,” said Cahalane.

“People were saying that Cork hurling is soft and I think at all groups this year we've proved that that is false.”

Having been used off the bench in the delayed 2020 All-Ireland final played last month, Cahalane marvelled at picking up a second All-Ireland medal at this age grade in the space of 39 days. The dual star was one of six players - Cormac O’Brien, Ciarán Joyce, Darragh Flynn, Brian Hayes, and Pádraig Power the other five - to feature in both finals.

“It’s like the buses, you'd be waiting a long time for one of them and then two of them come along at the same time. It is great, especially with the minors on Saturday and the seniors on Sunday. Hopefully this will give them a bit of a lift, as well.”

Similar to the 2020 final win over Dublin where Cork raced 1-4 clear early doors, the 2021 class hit 1-5 without reply in the opening 12 minutes of Wednesday’s decider. It was Cahalane who was fouled for the fourth-minute penalty converted by Darragh Flynn.

“Galway were bound to have a purple patch at some stage, but we always try to target the first 15 minutes and get going in the first 15 minutes, and if you can do that, you can push on from there. It was a great building block to have 1-5 in the first 12 minutes to their no score. It definitely helped us a long way.”

Elsewhere, Jeffrey Lynskey has stepped down as Galway U20 manager after three years in the role. Prior to his involvement with the county’s U20 side, he guided Galway to three All-Ireland minor titles in a four-year spell.

Lynskey revealed after Wednesday’s All-Ireland final defeat that their preparations, no more than Cork’s, had been affected by Covid.

“It is not an excuse but Covid went through the camp there, we had 12 lads gone with it,” said the manager.