Darragh Fitzgibbon intrigued by what Cian O'Neill can bring to Cork hurlers

Fitzgibbon has said Cork will endeavour to 'fix' the malfunctions of that 11-point All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway

Darragh Fitzgibbon on Cork's All-Ireland semi-final defeat: 'It was just very disappointing, but I think it's probably a bit unnoticed as to how well Galway played against us.' Pic: John Sheridan/Sportsfile

“Just very disappointing” is Darragh Fitzgibbon’s summation of the Cork hurlers’ latest Croke Park failure.

For the second consecutive July, Cork’s Liam MacCarthy ambitions imploded by second-half collapse.

After the 3-14 to 0-2 nightmare of the 2025 final second-half against Tipperary, this year’s return visit to GAA HQ followed a similarly destructive pattern.

Holding a 1-13 to 1-12 half-time lead over Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, Ben O’Connor’s side haemorrhaged nine points without reply during a game-transforming third quarter to find themselves 1-22 to 1-14 adrift.

In the opening 17 minutes and 40 seconds after half-time, Cork managed three shots. Only Shane Barrett’s 37th minute point stuck.

Of Patrick Collins’ 11 second-half puckouts sent long, nine were lost. Cork failed to win a single long puckout between the 38th and 74th minute.

Fitzgibbon, who was sent off for a second bookable offence on 55 minutes the same afternoon, has said Cork will endeavour to “fix” the malfunctions of that 11-point beating.

Darragh Fitzgibbon was speaking at the launch of Rebel Réalta Sports and Activity Day, which will take place at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday, October 6th, bringing together children with additional needs from schools across Cork for a day of Gaelic Games and activities.

“It was just very disappointing, but I think it's probably a bit unnoticed as to how well Galway played against us,” Fitzgibbon began.

“They got something like nine scores in-a-row, and in any game when a team has that much momentum, it's going to be hard to pull it back. Then, obviously, we went down to 14 men, which was another blow to us.

“You're playing at the highest level, you're playing against good teams. You're going to win some days, you're going to lose some days. Galway were fully deserving of that win.” 

When asked what Cork might have done differently to stop another Croke Park second-half so dramatically turning on them, Fitzgibbon admitted to having given the game very little thought in the two months since.

There was a brief getaway with teammates in the days after the defeat, with club matters then consuming him right up until the weekend before last.

He does, however, believe plenty of positives can still be mined from the season, even if it ultimately fell short on silverware.

“I’m sure there'll be plenty of time for reflection [on the Galway defeat] when we get back in with the playing group for 2027.

“There's absolutely positives [to the year]. We were in two finals, and as a playing group, we've been in six finals in-a-row over the last three seasons. We were extremely consistent in Munster, we won our first four games.

“When you get to the last four of the championship, anyone can beat anyone, and we were just beaten by a better team on the day, but we'll do our best to try and fix it and put our best foot forward in 2027.” 

That 2027 campaign will see Cian O’Neill as a most prominent coaching figure on the Cork sideline. There has been no contact as of yet between the players and MTU Cork’s Department of Sport, Leisure and Childhood Studies head.

The Cork captain is intrigued to see what the new addition, who coached Kerry to All-Ireland football honours in 2025, will bring to the red table.

“I'd be interested in looking at coaches and how they do things anyway, so it's very exciting to see what he's going to bring to it,” he continued.

“He's obviously a real professional and he's coming from a different game, so what he can add to us is going to be very intriguing. Looking forward to seeing what can happen with him in the new season.”

Before getting back on the field for pre-season, there is a body of rehab ahead for the three-time All-Star.

Having injured his quad at Charleville training before the club’s second group outing against Douglas, on August 22, his lining out in that victory aggravated the injury and forced him to sit out the entirety of their final group fixture against Newtownshandrum. He was limited to a second-half cameo role in the subsequent quarter-final defeat to Glen Rovers.

Factor in the appendectomy that removed him from Cork’s final three games in the Munster SHC and it’s been an interrupted year for the 29-year-old.

“I'm going back to do a good few weeks of rehab there now again. I don't really know what the timeline is, but I've got plenty of time to get it right. I'll focus on that and just kind of take a mental break from it all, as well.” 

His unavailability from the off was a significant factor in Charleville falling at the quarter-final hurdle in Cork for the second September running. Having bettered 2025 winners Sars on the opening day, Charleville were poised to be the breakthrough team of this campaign. That mantle has instead been taken on by Kanturk, who contest a first-ever Premier Senior semi-final this Sunday against the Barrs.

Fitzgibbon reckons the north Cork club could make further history this weekend and later into October.

“You have to admire them the way that they've kicked on and have gone a step further. I would give them a real chance of going the whole way now at this stage.”