Anthony Daly: There are thousands of lads with All-Ireland medals who wouldn’t lace Hoggie’s boots

Too much of Patrick Horgan's profile and iconic status has been wrongly bound up with the Cork man's quest for that elusive All-Ireland medal. It is a disservice to the great man

MAGIC MAN: Cork’s Patrick Horgan. 'There was always a rabbit somewhere to be pulled out of his hat', says Anthony Daly. Pic: James Crombie, Inpho

IT'S a long time ago now but I can still vividly remember coming home from Thurles after Clare lost the 1977 and 1978 Munster finals to Cork and just dying to get out into the back garden to try and relive and recreate some of those moments in my own little realm of innocence and fantasy.

In my mind, I was Mick Moroney taking sideline cuts, Johnny Callanan shooting balls over the bar and Seán Stack defending with stoicism and honour. Even though Cork had all the big names at the time – Jimmy-Barry Murphy, Ray Cummins, Charlie McCarthy, Johnny Crowley, Seánie O’Leary – I only wanted to be like my own.