Cork chairman Horgan: League success more financially lucrative than ending Liam MacCarthy wait

The Cork hurlers, back in early April, delivered the county’s first League title in 27 years.

Wed, 03 Dec, 2025 - 10:16

Eoghan Cormican

Cork GAA chairman Pat Horgan has said League success is more lucrative to the county coffers than ending their 20-year-wait for Liam MacCarthy.

The Cork hurlers, back in early April, delivered the county’s first League title in 27 years.

As a result of the crowds that followed the team on that run to League glory, the county’s National Hurling League share, to be revealed later this week, will mark an improvement on last year’s €268,000 figure.

Cork drew unparalleled crowds throughout the League. Their three home fixtures in the round-robin - against Limerick, Kilkenny, and Galway - attracted crowds in excess of 20,000, while the Páirc Uí Chaoimh decider against Tipp was a 43,243-sellout.

“The success of our teams, the success of our hurlers, has been a major thing. The winning of the National Hurling League will give the county a major boost in our accounts. If you were asked, from a financial point of view, what gives you more, winning the MacCarthy Cup or winning the League, winning the League by a mile,” said Horgan.

“A year and a half ago, there were loads of season tickets there for Cork, now we have maximized our 3,500, with probably another 20,000 looking to buy them.

“We saw all the year the phenomenal support the county had. Sure we packed out everywhere we went. The success of the hurlers in recent years has been a big, big factor in our improved financial reports.”

Horgan also insisted that the Cork county board executive is “making steady progress” in tackling the €31m debt arising out of the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

With the county’s 2025 accounts to be published by the end of the week, the chairman stated there has been improvement in the debt picture, albeit he was unable to provide supporting figures.

The dial on Cork GAA’s mountain of debt moved only fractionally in the 12 months to the end of 2024, a restructuring of loan repayments contributing to just €135,000 being knocked off a debt bill standing north of €31m.

This figure was over five times smaller than the €730,000 cleared off the debt the year previous.

“There has been an improvement in it. We are making steady progress,” said Horgan.