Pat Ryan: ‘Everybody looked up to Teddy’

Darragh Fitzgibbon of Cork with Cork manager Pat Ryan before making his way onto the pitch during the Teddy McCarthy Hurling Tribute Game between Cork and Galway at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Cork 4-22 Galway 0-24 

It was a double fitting of the occasion for Pat Ryan.

The Cork manager grew up idolising Teddy McCarthy and was only too delighted his hurlers could complete an appropriate tribute to his late clubmate, defeating Galway in a repeat of the 1990 All-Ireland hurling final.

Even more poignant was his decision to hand the day’s captaincy duties to Jack O’Connor, whose father John soldiered alongside Teddy Mac on the pitch and in Sarsfields management teams.

At full-time, O’Connor junior accepted a memorial trophy from McCarthy’s daughter Sinéad, sons Cian and Niall, and grandsons Tiernan and Joey.

Paying a personal tribute, Ryan revealed the imprint the Rebel legend made on him as a child.

“Everybody looked up to Teddy when we were growing up,” he said.

“In my own case, I went to the North Mon because Teddy went there. I was the only fella in my primary who went to the Mon at the time.

“I went there because Teddy went there and played hurling and won a Harty. I wanted to do the same and I was lucky to do so.

“He was a huge, iconic person around the area. He loved the parish of Glanmire and he loved where he was from in St Joseph’s View. It was a huge part of him.

“This was all about recognising Teddy McCarthy and it was great to do something for him.” 

Ryan praised his returning attacking gems, with Robbie O’Flynn (1-4) in scorching form and O’Connor adding 1-2 before both were withdrawn at half-time. By then, Cork were 2-12 to 0-12 ahead.

“You can see what an important player he is for us,” Ryan said of O’Flynn before explaining the close connection between the O’Connor and McCarthy clans.

“Jack’s a fierce Sars man and his father would have been very friendly with Teddy.

“They’d have played together and they were selectors together when we won the county in 2008. John was a player under Teddy as well and they were very good buddies.

“It was poignant that Jack was captain today, a nice gesture.” 

After McCarthy’s 1990 team-mates were presented to the crowd during the break, further goals came from Brian Hayes and Conor Lehane, who also finished with 1-4.

All but one point of their 4-22 total came from open play although Ryan, naturally, won’t be reading too much into the result against an experimental Galway side.

Still, there was evidence of a renewed Cork emphasis on goal-scoring.

“We created an awful lot of goal chances last year that we didn’t take and it was probably our achilles heel,” said Ryan.

“We created an awful lot of them again today. We took four. We’d eight, nine, or 10 chances really.” He was satisfied with the defending that enabled the Collins brothers, Patrick and Ger, to share a clean sheet.

Ryan singled out Cormac O’Brien, who captained Cork to the 2021 U20 All-Ireland, for praise after an assured display elevated by pinpoint distribution.

“A lot of our new fellas played well. Cormac O’Brien especially was excellent in the half-back line. It’s great for Cormac, he’s a good young fella, he’s really trying.” The pre-season injury bulletin was positive, too. Ciarán Joyce, Tim O’Mahony, Alan Connolly, and Mark Coleman will all be ready to go come January.

“We’ll have a rehab session (Sunday) morning with our return-to-training players at Páirc Uí Rinn.

“Then, we’re back in Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, and we’re playing Dublin at the weekend in a challenge match as well.

“It just keeps us ticking over, which is great because we didn’t have an opportunity to play games last year. It’s giving us something to work to.” 

For Galway, Donal O’Shea, son of former Tipperary manager and recently installed Galway coach Eamon, was lively in midfield and accurate from placed balls (0-9), while Declan McLoughlin scored four points and was fouled for four more pointed frees.

Scorers for Cork: R O’Flynn, C Lehane (1-4 each); J O’Connor (1-2); B Hayes (1-1); S Kingston (1 free), S Twomey, P Horgan, R Cotter (0-2 each); L Meade, S Harnedy, C Beausang (0-1 each).

Scorers for Galway: D O’Shea (0-9, 8 frees, 1 65); D McLoughlin (0-4); E Niland (0-3, 1 free); T Monaghan (0-2); E Lawless, C Fahy, A Tuohy, G Lee, John Cooney, S O’Hanlon (0-1 each).

CORK: P Collins; C O’Callaghan, E Roche, S O’Donoghue; G Millerick, T O’Connell, C O’Brien; B Roche, L Meade; C Lehane, S Kingston, B Hayes; R O’Flynn, S Twomey, J O’Connor.

Subs: R Cotter for O’Flynn, P Horgan for O’Connor, G Collins for P Collins, E Carey for Meade (all h-t), D Harrington for Millerick (48), D Fitzgibbon for B Roche (50), S Harnedy for Kingston (54), C Beausang for Twomey (58), C McCarthy for O’Donoghue (61).

GALWAY: D Fahy; E Lawless, TJ Brennan, S Morgan; C Fahy, A Tuohy, T Killeen; D O’Shea, G Lee; T Monaghan, John Cooney, S O’Hanlon; G Thomas, L Collins, D McLoughlin.

Subs: A Prendergast for O’Hanlon (49), M McManus for Thomas (54), A Connaire for Cooney (54), M Walsh for Tuohy (58), P Mannion for Killeen (59), D Concannon for Morgan (61), E Niland for Monaghan (64).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).