Five storylines ahead of the Cork hurling championship group stage conclusion
Glen Rovers Simon Kennefick has his shot blocked by Ger Millerick of Fr O'Neills during the PSHC match in Midleton. Pic: Howard Crowdy
Micheál Mullins failed to make the matchday panel for any of Cork’s seven championship outings this summer. His graduation to and subsequent ascent within the Cork senior dressing-room has not been at the pace of All-Ireland U20 winning teammates Eoin Downey and Diarmuid Healy.
Did he return to the local scene determined to prove a point to those who didn’t place him higher on the ladder or was he motivated by the simple reality that to ensure greater involvement in red next year, he needed to raise himself during the second half of 2025?
Whether it’s been the former or latter driving Mullins, his transfer from Whitechurch to Glen Rovers earlier this year has afforded him a far more prominent stage to both prove a point and propel himself up the pecking order. Not to be disrespectful to the lower grades, but standout performances at Premier Senior, as against sixth-tier junior, will turn the most heads.
After his impressive and winning championship debut in the famous three-toned shirt, Mullins told Clubber post-match that he was “looking forward to getting back into the club and getting matches under my belt. We’ve a great group of lads, everyone gels well together.” None has gelled quicker than their new midfield recruit. In their second group win over Fr O’Neill’s, he top-scored from play with 0-4. He assisted and was fouled for another two white flags.
Sars, and their midfield pairing of Kieran Murphy and Cork panelist Daniel Hogan, will present a more difficult challenge than he has encountered to date. Sunday presents further opportunity to continue his fine club form and a first opportunity to mark the notebook of new county boss Ben O’Connor.
Sitting in sharp contrast to the Glen’s winning return to the top table of Cork hurling is the winless starts to the 2025 championship of fellow northsiders Na Piarsaigh and Mayfield.
The latter pair reached the quarter-finals of their respective grade - Senior A and Intermediate A - last year. On this occasion, though, both are pointless after two rounds and teetering on the brink of relegation play-off involvement.
If Mayfield fall to Bandon at Ballinhassig on Saturday, they will stand one hour from demotion to Premier Junior. As for Na Piarsaigh and their bid to avoid similar relegation scrapping, so long as Bishopstown and Ballyhea don’t draw in Group 2, Na Piarsaigh need only concern themselves with bettering whatever Courcey Rovers conjure in Group 3.
The words of Glen Rovers and Cork legend Denis Coughlan from these pages in 2023, regarding the demise of hurling on the northside, rings truer with each passing year.
“Delaney Rovers, who are literally over the wall from the Glen field, they just ran out of numbers and the club began to go down. The same happened with St Vincent's. I played against those clubs in senior. They were always our equal,” said Coughlan.
“We had no room for private house building and so we were stuck in that loop up there in Ballyvolane where there was very little expansion. Mayfield and Brian Dillons would be good examples of that too, they don't have the numbers either.
“You look at the southside city clubs, the likes of Douglas, Blackrock, Nemo, Barrs, and Bishopstown, they have much more access to private housing and land to build on, and then encourage people to come in and stay in the city, as opposed to the northside as we see it now.”Â
At underage, Brian Dillons, Delaneys, and St Vincent’s have had to amalgamate. The Glen are already assured of Premier Senior progression. They are not the northside club to keep an eye on this weekend.
The five teams to win their respective relegation play-offs last year were Charleville, Carrigtwohill, Kilworth, Aghada, and Argideen Rangers. Four of the five survivors are unbeaten in Championship 2025. Four of the five sit atop their respective group.
Charleville have reached the Premier Senior quarter-finals with a round to spare. Carrigtwohill, even if they suffer defeat to Killeagh, are still likely to progress on account of their strong score difference. A win sends Kilworth into the Premier Intermediate quarter-finals, a draw will suffice for Aghada and Argideen Rangers in the two tiers below them.
“I just think we weren't fit enough over the last few years,” said Charleville boss Dominic Foley last month.
“We are playing at the highest level of hurling in what we would call the best county in the country, and our fitness levels weren't anywhere near what they should have been. So we asked them to put in that effort and be accountable for it. No missing training sessions unless there was a valid reason.”Â
It is obvious that others who escaped the drop last year have also since taken accountability for their poor form in 2024 and moved the dial - and results - for the latest edition.
Cloyne’s -48 score difference at the end of last year’s Senior A group phase stood as the second worst score difference across Cork’s five county championship tiers. They lost their subsequent relegation play-off by 18 points. An annus horribilis.
Fast forward to the eve of Round 3. Cloyne are the sole Premier Intermediate outfit to have secured knockout involvement with a round to spare. There was league promotion, albeit from Division 6, earlier this year.
“The key thing we have been trying to get into the players is trying to play the Cloyne way, which is to train hard and stick together. The lads have really committed to this and we are trying to bring in a new culture into the set-up again,” said manager Cathal Cronin.
“There's great excitement around the club again after winning a good few matches already this year.” A draw against already eliminated Éire Óg on Sunday will send them straight to the semis.
Tuesday’s behind-closed-doors Cork county board meeting was fairly non-descript. There was Croke Park guidance on amalgamated teams at underage level, an explanation from the top table regarding the breakdown of Cork’s All-Ireland final ticket allocation, and brief discussion surrounding the newly created and recently advertised Operations Manager post.
Also noted was the 15% increase in club championship attendances across the opening two rounds in either code. The turnstiles have been flowing in a manner the games have not.
In 2024, gross gate receipts in Cork reached €1.384m. The early markers suggest that figure will be surpassed this year, albeit the lack of straight knockout games at Premier Senior this weekend and next could stall early momentum on the attendance front.
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