Rory Maguire a late bloomer but a fast learner

DRIVING ON: Rory Maguire of Cork arrives for the Munster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Prior to 2022, Rory Maguire had never played a minute’s football for Cork - at any level.

The Castlehaven defender wasn’t selected for the Cork minors in either of the two years he was eligible and while Keith Ricken did bring him into the county U20 panel for their all-conquering 2019 season, he wasn’t used in a single one of Cork’s four games en route to All-Ireland glory.

It is against this backdrop of complete non-involvement that his 2022 stats are as impressive as they are confounding.

By the end of Cork’s 2022 season, only midfielder Colm O’Callaghan had seen more game-time than the 23-year-old debutant from West Cork.

Of Cork’s 14 games across the McGrath Cup, League, and Championship, Maguire started all bar one, that their second McGrath Cup outing against Waterford back in early January.

Of the 13 he started, there were only two he didn’t finish, Maguire substituted 57 minutes into their McGrath Cup opener away to Clare and hauled ashore on the hour mark during the heavy League defeat up in Derry a month later.

A permanent fixture in the Cork half-back line this year, his was a seamless transition from club to senior inter-county fare. Indeed, after corner-back Kevin O’Donovan, a strong argument could be made that Maguire was Cork’s most consistent performer through the season.

A late bloomer, but an equally fast learner.

Despite not getting a look in at underage, Maguire’s ambition to wear the red shirt waned not a jot in recent years.

“When I started picking up performances with Castlehaven and putting it together for the club, it probably always was a goal of mine to play senior for Cork,” began Maguire.

“Having trained with the likes of the Hurley brothers, Mark Collins, and Damien Cahalane at club level, they are a good inspiration and a good benchmark to try and get to. Those lads are legends of the club, so if I can emulate anything of what they are doing, it is another step along the way.” 

Called up by Ricken at the end of last year, he could never have envisioned how well, on a personal level, the season would pan out for him.

Even on the afternoon of Cork’s McGrath Cup final hammering at the hands of Kerry, Maguire’s two points from right half-back meant he was one of the few in red who could walk out of Fitzgerald Stadium with their head not below in their boots.

“It’s funny the way it happened. I started the first game against Clare in Miltown-Malbay, played well and kept my jersey for the Kerry game, played well in that game too, and the whole thing kinda spiralled on from there.

“I just kept hold of my jersey for every game and kept building performances. I feel I have really improved this year and learned a lot.

“I really enjoyed it. It is a new level where you are getting to test yourself against the best. To play in Croke Park (All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin) was another great experience. It has been a really enjoyable ride so far.” The target for 2023, the same as it will be for the collective, is to continue to build.

The restructured All-Ireland series means any path back to the last eight won’t be as kind as it was this year. Then again, to even be involved in the new group format, Cork will have to improve on their sixth-place finish in Division 2 or succeed in getting back to the Munster final.

“We all definitely want to push on. We know where we are now, so it is up to us to bridge the gap between us and the top teams. I can’t wait to get back in next year and hopefully we will put up more performance and hopefully the Cork fans will get behind us.” 

Matters Cork, mind, are in the back seat at present. Out front is matters club as Castlehaven prepare to renew rivalries with St Finbarr’s at the semi-final stage of the Cork championship for the third autumn running.

The score is one-all, with both of those previous instalments having been settled by penalties.

“They were two tough, physical games. You are not going to get anything easy off the Barrs ever. I’d say they expect the same off us too. Sunday will be a clash of two real premier Cork sides.

“We were there in the 2020 delayed final, but we haven’t won a county since 2013. We are all hungry and chomping at the bit to get to the final. We know what is expected after playing the Barrs for the last two years so hopefully we can put it together.”