Seven questions for Cork after a seven-goal rout

Kilkenny or Tipperary await in an All-Ireland final, but Cork have other questions which need to be answered

Cork’s manager Pat Ryan and Shane Kingston celebrate after the win over Dublin. Pic: James Crombie, inpho

Where does that rank in Cork’s All-Ireland semi-final victories?

Pretty high, although last year’s feat against Limerick takes some topping. Yet, as Pat Ryan admitted after this game, that took a lot out of his team. In scoring terms, this was their largest All-Ireland semi-final victory since the 1984 win over Antrim when they won by 24 points. It was two years later that they hit the seven-goal mark, also against the Saffrons, although the margin was only five.

Is it the best way to come into an All-Ireland final?

Many will say no when Cork were going to be the favourites anyway and this will only cement that belief. In the aforementioned years, Cork went on to win All-Irelands and in 2004 they were far too good for Wexford before going on to end Kilkenny’s three-in-a-row. 

If it was another county, there might be concern that they had it too easy but Cork were so good here and could ease off towards the end with goal creator Patrick Horgan making way in the 55th minute. Back in 2003, Cork had to lose one to win one the following year. This season is following a similar script.

Cork selector Wayne Sherlock and Seamus Harnedy after defeating Dublin in the All-Ireland SHC semi final at Croke park. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Will Seamus Harnedy be fit for the All-Ireland final?

There is every chance. In a storied career, Harnedy has picked up his fair share of injuries but would be regarded as a quick healer. As Ryan said following the Munster defeat to Limerick, Cork learned a valuable lesson about starting players carrying knocks. 

Harnedy would seem a doubt to start the final, but what an addition he would be off the bench with the bellowing Cork support ushering him onto the field. Barring an injury at training on Wednesday or a game next weekend, the team that started against Dublin won’t change for July 20.

Can the hype be quelled?

To give a nod to current events in London SW19, you cannot be serious. Seven goals in front of a massive Cork crowd that probably outnumbered Dublin five or six to one is only going to fan the flames of expectation. Good thing that Cork have been living with it since the league but it’s going to go into overdrive now and the hunt for tickets will be relentless. 

The county board truly have a loaves and fishes dilemma on their hands and clubs have already complained this year about the lack of them. Off the field, the Cork County Board will rightly look to milk it in terms of fundraisers but Ryan will want all the non-hurling aspects of the final out of the way by Tuesday.

Is Brian Hayes Cork’s leading contender for hurler of the year?

Don’t ask silly questions, of course he is. Alan Connolly grabbed the man of the match award for completing his hat-trick but Hayes was terrific here again and has become not just the focal point of his team’s attack but their most dangerous attacker. 

There were plenty of Cork heroes here – Seán O’Donoghue has carried on his fine form from the provincial campaign, Tim O’Mahony was outstanding and Darragh Fitzgibbon, Cork’s second best player this year and player of the year nominee in 2024, was again dynamic. But Hayes has been their best player this season. 

Of course, he could be pipped by Fitzgibbon depending on the final and his closest non-Cork rivals for the top individual award are Huw Lawlor and Billy Ryan (Kilkenny), Jake Morris and Andrew Ormond (Tipperary). By the by, Cian O’Sullivan all but sealed his All Star, which would be Dublin’s first in 12 years, with his 2-5 haul.

What’s there to worry about from this game?

Dublin manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin couldn’t say enough about Cork. “That's as good a team performance from a sharpness perspective that I've seen in a long, long time.” 

It didn’t seem so brilliant at times in the first half though, a point Ryan raised after the game. There was sloppiness in their own half of the field and at least one of their prospective All-Ireland final opponents isn’t going to allow them turn the game into a slugfest on the scoreboard. 

Ó Ceallachain said afterwards that there is no point shaping up zonal to Cork as they will win anyway. Kilkenny would try and prove that theory wrong; man-marking Tipperary maybe not.

So if they are being honest who do Cork want to face in "The Empire Strikes Back" final, Kilkenny or Tipperary?

If it’s a case of better the devil you know, it’s Tipperary. Simply out of familiarity, this Cork team understand them better and while the Munster SHC meeting was a write-off, with more running and scoring power they will fancy themselves to beat a 15-man Tipperary side over 70-plus minutes. 

As for Kilkenny, there has been little between them in league meetings, their intensity can be suffocating and it’s unlikely they would allow O’Mahony the freedom of Croke Park as Dublin offered to him here.