All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Cork v Clare
07 September, 2013
All-Ireland Hurling Final Cork v Clare
Sunday, September 8th @ 3.30pm in Croke Park
Referee: Brian Gavin (Offaly)
*Preceded by the Minor Final between Waterford and Galway at 1.15pm, which will be refereed by Cork's Cathal McAllister.
We're almost there now... Just one more day to go!!!
Weekend Schedule: The team will travel to Dublin by coach today, and will stay at the DT Dublin Hotel (formerly the Burlington), as has been the tradition for Cork hurling teams for many years. On Sunday, they will leave the hotel in time to arrive at Croke Park a little over an hour before the game.
Weather Forecast: Rather cool tomorrow and showery but brighter than today with sunny spells at times but the risk of cloudier conditions in western areas. Afternoon temperatures of 13 to 15 degrees in light mostly northwest breezes.
TV & Radio Coverage: The game will be broadcast on RTE 2 and C103 (also online), with updates on our Twitter page, @OfficialCorkGAA. See http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/gaa-media-coverage/ for details of how to watch the game abroad.
Transport: See http://www.luas.ie/take-luas-to-croke-park-for-the-finals.html for details of Luas Park & Ride options tomorrow, and http://www.crokepark.ie/About/Getting-Here/Parking for information on car parking. Safe journey to all our travelling fans!!
Banquet: Tickets for the post-match reception at the DT Dublin Hotel (formerly the Burlington) are now available from Cork County Board, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork (021-4963311), Cummins Sports, 38-39 North Main Street, Cork (021-4272739) and Tom Barry (01-6773434), priced at €100.
Meet the Midleton players ...
Luke O'Farrell
23 years old and a recently qualified primary school teacher from Midleton, Luke first played hurling at his grandparents' house with his father and two uncles. He made his Senior inter-county début against Waterford in 2010. Luke believes that first touch is the most important skill in hurling, and would like to see umpires and linesmen have more influence on the game. The highlight of his career so far has been winning the Harty Cup with Midleton CBS in 2006, while outside of playing, his best memory is Cork's All-Ireland victory in 2004. The greatest player he has ever seen is Joe Deane, and apart from hurling, his favourite sport is soccer. As a child, he wanted to be a centre back! He's also good at ping pong, and the person he would most like to meet is Lionel Messi. Marooned on a desert island, he would not be without... a 5-star hotel!
Conor Lehane
Aged 21 and from Midleton, UCC student Conor first played hurling in the back garden at home with his father at the tender age of 4, making his Cork Senior début against Dublin in the 2011 Allianz League. He thinks that first touch is the most important skill in hurling, and the best career advice he was ever given was to take nothing for granted. His best memory as a player is winning a County Minor title with his club, and he considers Eoin Kelly and Mark Considine to be the greatest players he has ever seen. If there was a transfer market in hurling, he would buy Joe Canning. His favourite sport outside of hurling is basketball, and he claims a talent for FIFA on the PS3! As a child, he wanted to be the Rock from WWF, and the person he would most like to meet is Lebron James. Marooned on a desert island, the thing he could not do without is... a boat!!
Did You Know? Should Cork win tomorrow, Patrick Cronin will be the first Bishopstown man to captain an All-Ireland winning Cork hurling team.
Meet the Captain...
Patrick Cronin
A secondary school teacher, 26-year-old Pa Cronin is the 2013 Cork Senior Hurling captain. He first started playing at the age of four with his club, Bishopstown, and the best advice he was ever given was train as hard as you can and continuously try to improve your game. He believes that first touch and striking are the key skills of the game, and would like to see better structures put in place for the planning of club games.
Besides hurling, his favourite sports are Gaelic Football and soccer, and his favourite sporting memory outside of playing is watching Cork win the 1999 All-Ireland Final: " My Dad, my sister and myself all went up to the match without a ticket. Before the match we were lucky enough our hands on one ticket. I don't know how we did it but we all managed to get in with just this one ticket! It was great to see a famous Cork win that day". On the playing field, his best memory is Cork's 2008 Qualifier win over Galway in 2008, having been reduced to 14 men. Pa tells us that he's good at pitch and putt, and the greatest players he has ever seen are Brian Corcoran and Ben O'Connor. In ten years' time, he hopes to be happy, healthy and still playing with his club.
Team News
The Cork Senior Hurling team to play Clare in Sunday's All-Ireland Final will line out as follows:
1. Anthony Nash
Kanturk
2. Stephen McDonnell 3. Shane O'Neill 4. Conor O'Sullivan
Glen Rovers Bishopstown Sarsfields
5. Brian Murphy 6. Christopher Joyce 7. William Egan
Bride Rovers Na Piarsaigh Kilbrin
8. Lorcan Mc Loughlin 9. Daniel Kearney
Kanturk Sarsfields
10. Seamus Harnedy 11. Pa Cronin 12. Conor Lehane
St. Ita's Bishopstown Midleton
13. Luke O'Farrell 14. Patrick Horgan 15. Jamie Coughlan
Midleton Glen Rovers Newtownshandrum
16. Darren McCarthy Ballymartle
17. Kilian Murphy Erins Own
18. Mark Ellis Millstreet
19. Tom Kenny Grenagh
20. Stephen White Ballygarvan
21. Rob O'Shea Carrigaline
22. Cian Mc Carthy Sarsfields
23. Cathal Naughton Newtownshandrum
24. Stephen Moylan Douglas
25. Michael O'Sullivan Tracton
26. Michael Cussen Sarsfields
In the only change to the Cork team, Brian Murphy returns from injury to take up the wing-back position, with Tom Kenny making way.
Did You Know? The average age of the Cork starting fifteen is 24. The oldest player is Brian Murphy at 31, who will also be the only player on the field to have already won All-Ireland medals (04/05), while the youngest is Conor Lehane at 21.
Did You Know? Croke Park has a capacity of 82,300 and is the fourth largest stadium in Europe after Barcelona's Nou Camp, Wembley in London and the Bernabeu in Madrid.
Did You Know? Three Cork players have won All-Stars in both hurling and football. Ray Cummins (Blackrock/St. Michael's) holds the unique distinction of having won both in the same year (1971), while Brian Murphy (Nemo Rangers) and Jimmy Barry-Murphy are the other two.
Meet the manager... Jimmy Barry-Murphy
A legend on Leeside, former Cork dual star Jimmy Barry-Murphy was born in 1954 and played hurling and football with his local club St. Finbarr's, based in Togher, for many years. He was a member of the Cork Senior inter-county teams in both codes throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He has an impressive management record at Inter-County level, managing the All-Ireland winning Minor Hurling team in 1995 and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling team in 1999. He was appointed Senior Hurling manager for the second time in September 2011.
Management Record
All-Ireland Senior Hurling: 1999
Munster Senior Hurling: 1999, 2000
All-Ireland Minor Hurling: 1995
Munster Minor Hurling: 1994, 1995
As a player, Jimmy Barry-Murphy won a raft of honours at club, county and provincial level, including the three-in-a-row All-Ireland Senior Hurling titles from 1976-1978, to which he added two further titles in 1984 and 1986, in addition to an All-Ireland Senior Football medal in 1973, making him one of that elite group of players to have won All-Ireland titles in both hurling and football. He also won four Railway Cup medals in football and one in hurling, two All-Ireland Club titles in each code with St. Finbarr's, and All-Star awards in both hurling (five) and football (two).
But what about the man behind the legend? We caught up with JBM to get his views on a number of questions...
How did you get involved in hurling management? It was something I just drifted into after my playing career, beginning with managing the Barrs minors. I was asked to manage the Cork Minors and after their success in 1995, I progressed to the Senior team.
What skill do you think is the most important in hurling? First touch is everything. I'm a big fan of ball alleys and hurling walls which help to improve first touch and hand-eye co-ordination and it's great to see so many clubs developing them now. I'd love to have had these facilities when I was a player!
What would you like to change about the game? Nothing - I think it's a great game and I love it as it is.
Who or what have been the greatest influences on your sporting career? My parents and family. Both my parents were very interested in the GAA, and playing hurling at home with my brothers and sisters was a huge part of my life growing up.
If there was a transfer market in hurling, who would you buy? I'm a big fan of Jackie Tyrell, and if he was available, I'd certainly buy him.
Who is the greatest player you have seen? Brian Corcoran.
Favourite sport other than hurling: Greyhound racing.
Most important advice you would give a player? I always emphasise to players, particularly those coming out of minor, the dedication and discipline involved in achieving at the highest level in sport. I have serious concerns about the abuse of alcohol by young people today, and as someone who enjoys a drink myself, I would advise all young players to avoid over-indulging.
Best sporting memory as a player? The 1973 All-Ireland Football Final. It was my first final in Croke Park, and I suppose is made extra special by the fact that football titles were so rare in Cork.
How do you relax away from hurling? Greyhound racing!
Did You Know? The All-Ireland Final on September 11, 2005 (Cork v Galway) was the first to be played at the fully refurbished Croke Park. The Cusack Stand, the Canal Stand, the Hogan Stand and the new Hill 16 and Nally End all have a combined capacity of 82,300. If you are lucky enough to have a ticket for Sunday's final, you can check out the view in advance by visiting the Croke Park interactive seating chart at http://www.crokepark.ie/about/seating-plans.
Meet the selectors... When Jimmy Barry-Murphy was appointed Cork manager for the second time in late 2011, he brought a strong team of selectors with him. Let's find out a little more about them!
Johnny Crowley
From the Bishopstown club, Johnny was on the Cork Senior Hurling panel from 1976 to 1987 and is a contemporary of Jimmy Barry-Murphy and was also a dual Cork minor, winning All-Irelands in both codes. Later concentrating on hurling at inter-county level, Johnny played mainly as a defender and won five All-Ireland titles; 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984, and 1986. He also collected an All-Star Award in 1984. Along with Tom Cashman, he also served as a selector during Jimmy Barry-Murphy's previous term, helping to guide Cork to the All-Ireland title in 1999, and following the conclusion of their term, returned to club management with Bishopstown.
Kieran Kingston
Hailing from the Tracton club based at Minane Bridge, Kieran was also a team-mate of Jimmy Barry-Murphy's in the final years of the latter's career. He joined the panel for the 1984/1985 National League season and won an All-Ireland medal in 1986. Kieran also tasted County Championship success with his club, winning the County Intermediate Championship in 1991. After the conclusion of his playing career, he became involved in club management and guided Tracton to the County Final in 2010, losing out to Ballymartle. He joined the panel for the 1984/1985 National League season and won an All-Ireland medal in 1986. Kieran also tasted County Championship success with his club, winning the County Intermediate Championship in 1991. After the conclusion of his playing career, he became involved in club management and guided Tracton to the County Final in 2010, losing out to Ballymartle.
Ger Cunningham
From St. Finbarr's, Ger was a member of the Cork Senior Hurling panel from 1981 to 1999, and in that time, he won three All-Ireland titles, seven Munster titles, three National Hurling League titles and three Railway Cup titles with Munster. Cunningham also won an unprecedented seven consecutive All-Ireland Poc Fada titles between 1984 and 1990. His tally of 50 consecutive senior championship appearances in goal is a record for any Cork goalkeeper, and he was named Texaco Hurler of the Year in 1986, a rare accolade for a goalkeeper. He later served as a member of the backroom teams of All-Ireland winning managers, Donal O'Grady and John Allen, and at club level, guided Ballygunner of Waterford to victory in the 2009 County Championship.
Seánie McGrath
The youngest member of the backroom team, and the only one not to have played with Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Seánie began his playing career with Mayfield before later moving to Glen Rovers. He won back-to-back Fitzgibbon Cup titles with UCC in 1997 and 1998, and played Minor and U21 hurling for Cork, winning a Munster U21 medal. In 1999, under the management of Jimmy Barry-Murphy, he collected Munster and All-Ireland medals, and also won an All-Star that year. Seánie also tasted success at Inter-Provincial level, winning Railway Cup medals in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
