'It almost felt like a famine for us': Mark Cronin hails Nemo's character to end losing final run

Mark Cronin: 'The strength of the group is coming back in January knowing that last October was tough and that we are going again.' Pic: ©INPHO/David Ribeiro

Mark Cronin’s words are as measured and considered as his eye of a needle passes. No cliches. No hyperbole. No deliberate downplaying statements.

The 26-year-old physiotherapist is standing in the long tunnel underneath Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s South Stand. This is an October to stand out and savour. There is no quick retreat to the dressing room to escape the ecstasy of your conquerors, to drown in your own disappointment. Nemo had enough of that for three consecutive Octobers.

“It probably is,” Cronin replies when asked if Sunday’s Cork final victory is sweeter for having come up short on the concluding day in 2023, ‘24, and ‘25.

“It probably makes you value it a small bit more. I hadn't lost a final until 2023. I probably didn't know what it was like. Losing a final is that bit different, and it made me value 2022 a small bit more. And now three years of hurt built up is what you see out on the pitch there. It almost felt like a famine for us.

“You probably question yourself after a loss and what it's all for. It is days like this is what it is all for.”

This Nemo group was responsible for the club’s first ever back-to-back county final defeats. This Nemo group was responsible for the club’s first ever three-in-a-row of county final defeats. Unwanted history was theirs.

Locally in Trabeg and further afield, this same group will now be lauded for returning Nemo to the summit of Cork football. That is not what Cronin would have them lauded for.

“That's five county finals in-a-row. That's the strength of the group. The strength of the group isn't winning today. The strength of the group is coming back in January knowing that last October was tough and that we are going again and we are going as far as we possibly can.

“I wouldn't say it is difficult coming back. I think we look forward to it.”

Their return to the summit came heavily wrapped in Cronin’s playmaking.

In the quarter-final victory over Castlehaven, he assisted 0-4. In the semi-final stave-off of Carrigaline, he supplied 1-2 of their closing 1-3.

On the concluding Sunday, and outside of the five frees and two flags from play he kicked himself, one of which was orange, his was the assist to shove Nemo’s lead out to five on 53 minutes. His was the incredible assist, over the heads of three Barrs defenders, to pick out Ronan Dalton for the point that doubled their lead on 58 minutes after the Barrs had closed to the minimum for the first time in proceedings.

“I think we've seen since the quarter-final that the last 15 minutes is when we tend to draw a bit of trouble on ourselves. We back ourselves. In the Castlehaven game, we were under the cosh. The last day against Carrigaline, we were against the wind, and with a couple of minutes to go it looks like we are probably dead and buried to some, but that is the strength of our panel,” the No.10 continued.

“We had 40 training last Thursday. You could pick any one of them. We are starting now to see those lads when they get a chance. Neville O'Shea hadn't played since the second group game but then is able to slot back in and had a fine game here. That is the strength of the panel.

“The core group has been on the road a long time, probably since 2018. We've been there and we've seen where we have lost on other days. We have a confidence in ourselves that we are a good side. Anything could happen on the day, but it is up to ourselves to perform.”

To perform. That is the first goal of the upcoming Munster campaign. Tipp champions Loughmore-Castleiney visit Leeside on Sunday week. On the last occasion Nemo ventured into Munster, their first opponents were also the visiting Tipp champions.

The 2022 quarter-final exit to Clonmel is a defeat that still sits uncomfortably with Cronin, even if the view from outside was that the loss paled by comparison to the many Cork final reverses that came after.

“The last couple of Sundays and Mondays [after the county final] were a bit grim. You are probably forcing yourself to enjoy it. We'll enjoy this, but you think back to 2022, we probably left ourselves down in the next game in Munster (Clonmel Commercials beat them 2-15 to 1-11 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh), so enjoy this until Monday night, Tuesday morning, and then it is boots back on and ready to go for the weekend after next. It is exciting times.

“A Munster Club isn't to be taken for granted. I remember in 2019, I thought every year was going to be like this when we got to the All-Ireland semi-final. Didn't get back there again. 2022, in my head, is a bit tainted because we didn't probably back up the county two weeks' later.

“At the end of the day, who cares if you win the county if you don't back it up in two weeks' time.”