Seánie McGrath: How Pat Ryan made Cork All-Ireland contenders once again

People focus on the 70 minutes and the moments that decided the 70 minutes. Let’s first focus on the past 12 months. What did Pat Ryan have to do to make what happened on Sunday happen?

An elated Brian Hayes after the final whistle 

I was reared on a diet of All-Ireland final victories. As was every other Cork kid of my time. Okay, so my first final to attend left this eight-year-old not the least bit impressed with the outcome of the 1983 decider, but thereafter, I was spoiled.

1984, 1986, and then of course the five goals of 1990 - still my favourite game. A 15-year-old Cork boy who’d seen his county lift Liam MacCarthy three times in the space of six years. The shame is that we haven’t a 15-year-old in the county today who can boast even anything close.