Pat Ryan interview: 'Part of my philosophy is character. I want lads who want to play for Cork'

'I wouldn’t say it was a job I had an eye on, it was a job I couldn’t say no to in the end'

New Cork hurling manager Pat Ryan: 'Accuracy and shot efficiency are areas we will work on'

Wired. Pat Ryan strides through the bowels of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and into an empty office. He grips an extended hand and fixes you with a steely glare. It is not so much a welcome as it is a question.

What is your story? What are you about? Have you got it? A searching gaze, boring down to the roots. The new Cork manager is just starting out. Right now, he travels through a sea of well-wishers. ‘Tis the season of ‘good lucks’ and pats on the back.