Bríd Stack: 'Relegation to Division 2 doesn't have to be the end of the world'

Stack acknowledged that they're 'going through a massive period of transition' now and said Division 2 football could be just what they need.

Brid Stack at Croke Park.

Brid Stack reckons there'll be no 'quick fix' for the Cork ladies but says relegation to Division 2 doesn't have to spell crisis either.

Shane Ronayne's reigning Munster champions crashed out of Division 1 this spring following six losses from seven.

Former captains Doireann and Ciara O'Sullivan announced their retirements in March, along with Roisin Phelan, severing the last playing links to Cork's most recent All-Ireland winning team in 2016.

Stack won the last of her 11 All-Ireland medals that season and was named Senior Players' Player of the Year.

But she acknowledged that they're 'going through a massive period of transition' now and said Division 2 football could be just what they need.

Speaking at the launch of this year's Bord Gais Energy GAA Legends Tour Series, Stack noted how Armagh, Kerry and Meath have all graduated from Division 2 in recent seasons.

"It doesn't have to be the end of the world," she said. "It's probably something that a young team will benefit hugely from. They'll be getting games under their belt, getting competitive games.

"It's a tough one for Cork to take because they have been up in Division 1 for so many years.

"The fall is obviously not something that you want to see but it's something that might be used to their advantage going forward and into next year so hopefully that girls can build on it as the years go on."

Cork launched their defence of the Munster title last weekend with a 1-10 to 0-11 win over Waterford.

Katie Quirke slotted five points after her return from injury and Laura O'Mahony netted in Dungarvan.

The challenge will be stiffer on Saturday when Cork travel to Brosna to face Kerry in Round 2.

Stack feels the provincial competition can help Cork bounce back from their spring difficulties and tee them up for the All-Ireland series.

"That's what it's there for," said the former AFLW player. "It's great that in Munster you are getting tested by one of the best sides in Kerry, before you go into the All-Ireland group.

"There's huge merit in Munster. I still look back extremely fondly on Munster final days and Munster semi-final days, they're huge occasions and lots of these Cork girls haven't played in Munster semis, or any Munster senior competition. So there's going to be massive learning taken from it."

Stack said the bottom line for Cork is that it's going to take time to get back to the top.

"It looks to me like it's not going to be a quick fix to be honest because there's a lot of young players on the team," she said. "They just have to gain that experience on the field for many years to come.

"When I think back on it, on some of the players I got to play alongside, they were generational players.

"The likes of Juliet Murphy, Briege Corkery, Rena Buckley, I don't think we'll ever see their likes again. They were just unique players who had it all, they had it all in abundance.

"At the moment, Cork is just going through that massive period of transition."