Ruairí Deane set to continue with Cork footballers

Reports had suggested the 34-year-old Bantry Blues clubman was going to retire.

Ruairí Deane of Cork  Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Ruairí Deane will continue with the Cork footballers in 2026, contrary to reports that he was set to call time on his inter-county career.

The 34-year-old Bantry Blues clubman has been around the Cork scene since 2014, save for the 2022 campaign when deemed surplus to requirements during the brief tenure of Keith Ricken.

Deane has been employed by John Cleary as an impact sub these past two years, coming off the bench in five of Cork’s six championship outings in 2025.

He reached 100 appearances in red earlier this year and will hope to continue adding to that figure as he commits again for 2026.

Rumours that Luke Meade, recently parted from the Cork hurling set-up, was going to fall in with the Cork footballers for next year have proven exactly that.

Steven Sherlock is the most high-profile addition to Cleary’s panel ahead of next season, the in-form 28-year-old forward rejoining the fold after a year away. His Barrs teammate, goalkeeper Darragh Newman, and Cork U20 Ed Myers have also been called up.

Traveling in the opposite direction are Seán Powter, Neil Lordan, and Chris Kelly.

Cork open their Division 2 National League campaign at home to Cavan on Sunday, January 25.