Cork senior Barry Walsh starts as Cork U20s named for Munster opener against Tipp 

Tipperary play Cork at Semple Stadium on Wednesday evening while Waterford face Clare in Sixmilebridge in the opening round of the Munster U20 Hurling Championship

STARLET: Cork U20 ace Barry Walsh nails the Rebels' first goal despite the efforts of Offaly's Daniel Bourke in Saturday's Allianz HL Division 1A tie at SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Cork senior newcomer Barry Walsh and 2025 Cork SHC winner with Sars, Barry O’Flynn, will lead the Cork attack in the county’s Munster U20 opener away to All-Ireland champions Tipperary on Wednesday (Thurles, 7pm).

Walsh comes into the game off the back of a series of impressive showings for Ben O’Connor’s senior side, including a goal on his debut start against Kilkenny and another green flag in last Saturday's annihilation of Offaly. 

Sandwiched in between those two appearances was arguably his strongest display when taking Kyle Hayes for two points in the March 7 loss to Limerick.

Accompanying Walsh in the Cork U20 half-forward line will be team captain Barry O’Flynn. The centre-forward enjoyed a breakthrough season at club level last year, getting among the scorers in Sars’ county quarter-final, semi-final, and final victories.

Walsh and O’Flynn are two of six survivors from the Cork U20 starting team that fell narrowly to Clare in last year’s Munster semi-final. The remaining quartet are corner-back David O’Leary, centre-back John Murphy, midfielder Ben Walsh, and corner-forward Finn O’Brien.

Opponents Tipp have named four starters from their 2025 All-Ireland winning U20 side.

Corner-back Cathal O’Reilly, half-back Adam Ryan, centre-forward Oisín O’Donoghue, and fellow half-forward David Costigan all began last May’s All-Ireland U20 final win over Kilkenny.

Oisín O'Donoghue won All-Ireland U20 and senior titles with Tipperary in 2025. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Two members of the inside line named for Wednesday’s visit of Cork, Cormac Fitzpatrick and Jamie Ormond, were introduced as subs during the 2025 final victory.

The remaining member of the full-forward line, Stefan Tobin, made his Tipp senior debut off the bench in the county’s league opener against Galway back in January. His first senior start came against Waterford the weekend before last, with Tobin shooting 0-4 from play to mark his full debut.

The aforementioned O’Reilly also made his league debut against Galway in late January.

O’Reilly, Tobin and Adam Ryan, as well as Shane Ryan, Tiernan Ryan, David Ryan, and Euan Murray are the seven starters who have graduated from the 2024 All-Ireland minor final winning line-up.

The Waterford team travelling to Sixmilebridge includes seven starters from last year’s All-Ireland minor winning side, meaning almost half the Déise side to take on Clare are only U18.

They are goalkeeper James Comerford, corner-back Darragh Keane, full-back Conor Lynch, half-back Bradley Penkert, midfielder Hugo Quann, half-forward Shane Power, and corner-forward Gearóid O’Shea. 

The latter was player of the match for St Kieran’s Kilkenny in last week’s Croke Cup final, registering 1-3 in the win over Pres Athenry.

Seven is also the number of players in Terence Fahy’s Clare U20 team who started the 2023 All-Ireland minor final triumph. 

They are goalkeeper Mark Sheedy, corner-back Eoghan Gunning, half-backs Jamie Moylan and Matthew O’Halloran, half-forwards Ronan Kilroy and Michael Collins, and full-forward Seán Arthur.

Both Munster U20 Round 1 games throw in at 7pm.

CORK (Munster U20 v Tipperary): Ó Walsh (Youghal); D Heavin (Russell Rovers), D Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers), D O’Leary (Ballincollig); MT Brosnan (Glen Rovers), J Murphy (Mallow), M Barrett (Carrigtwohill); Ben Walsh (Killeagh), J O’Brien (Douglas); Barry Walsh (Killeagh), B O’Flynn (Sarsfields), J Murphy (Dromina); F O’Brien (Erin’s Own), Z Biggane (Charleville), C Noonan (Kanturk).

SUBS: T Walsh (Aghada), R O’Riordan (Blackrock), C Garde (Lisgoold), J Galvin (Éire Óg), J Casey (Youghal), J O’Brien (Cloyne), C O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh), C Deane (Killeagh), D Wall (Glen Rovers).

TIPPERARY (Munster U20 v Cork): P McCormack (Moneygall); C O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), E Morris (Holycross Ballycahill), S Ryan (Killenaule); D Ryan (Arravale Rovers), S Rowan (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone), A Ryan (Arravale Rovers); T Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), S Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs); E Murray (Thurles Sarsfields), O O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), D Costigan (Moycarkey Borris); J Ormond (JK Brackens), S Tobin (Carrick Swans), C Fitzpatrick (Drom Inch).

SUBS: D Hayes (Toomevara), J Donelan Houlihan (Nenagh Éire Óg), E Doughan (Moneygall), J Hackett (Toomevara), S Hall (Golden Kilfeacle), J Hayes (Moycarkey Borris), D O’Hora (Cappawhite), C White (Boherlahan Dualla), P Ryan (Borris-Ileigh).

CLARE (Munster U20 v Waterford): M Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); E Gunning (Broadford), R Loftus (Éire Óg), J Casey (Kilmaley); J Moylan (Cratloe), J Cullinan (Ruan), M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge); D Costelloe (Ballyea), D Moroney (Éire Óg, Ennis); R Kilroy (Banner), M Collins (Clonlara), H Doherty (Clarecastle); M Cleary (Éire Óg, Ennis), S Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus), F Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona).

SUBS: C Doyle (Bodyke), C Daly (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield), R Hayes (Tulla), M Power (Newmarket-on-Fergus), J Mescall (Inagh/Kilnamona), R Keane (Killanena), P Rodgers (Scariff), M O’Brien (Cratloe), G Ball (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield).

WATERFORD (Munster U20 v Clare): J Comerford (Ballygunner); D Keane (De La Salle), C Lynch (Geraldines), T Ahern (Ballyduff Upper); B Penkert (Mount Sion), J McDonnell (Tallow), C O’Sullivan (Ballygunner); H Quann (Lismore), P Spelman (Fourmilewater); S Power (De La Salle), P Walsh (Fourmilewater), M Hartley (Ballygunner); G O’Shea (St Molleran’s), S Mackey (Fenor), D Comerford (St Molleran’s).

SUBS: B Murphy (Tallow), P Quann (Dungarvan), O Fives (Ballygunner), F Cooney (Ballygunner), T Kennedy (Mount Sion), J Shanahan (Erin’s Own), T Carey (Passage), C Shankey (Portlaw), E Burke (Dungarvan).