Cork hurling questions before facing Tipp, plus footballers' kick-out struggles.
The Echo Sport PodcastShow Notes
The wait is over, hurling championship returns this Sunday with an All-Ireland final rematch in Thurles.
The Rebel pain from the defeat in Croke Park won't go away with a victory over Tipp on their turf but it would give them with a great chance of progressing from Munster again. While lifting Liam MacCarthy is the aim, all that matters over the coming weeks is that Cork do enough to escape the provincial bearpit.
Ben O'Connor had a strong start to his tenure during the league but two recent defeats to Limerick, including the final on Easter Sunday, have left the supporters worrying the hurlers are vulnerable. Injuries to Diarmuid Healy and Seán O'Donoghue are a concern but in Barry Walsh, who is withheld from the U20s this week ahead of his debut, and William Buckley, they've unearthed two lively and direct forwards.
There are plenty of talking points going into the clash at Semple Stadium that the Echo Podcast crew discuss, starting with Walsh prioritising the senior clash when Tipp tyro Darragh McCarthy balanced both grades in 2025. There were puck-out issues in the Gaelic Grounds but were Cork holding back options for the championship? Will the half-back line man-mark Tipp's dangerman, particularly Jake Morris, and risk getting pulled out of position like they were by Limerick?
What tricks does Liam Cahill have up his sleeve? Will Tipp try a sweeper again?
There's also a look at the minors' opening round win over Waterford.
On the football front, Cork strangely performed far better against the wind in their win over Limerick than with the gale at their backs. Up 15 points at the break, they were outscored by six in the second half by a Treaty side relegated from Division 3.
It was a very disappointing second half in the Páirc so they've plenty to work on before tackling Tipp. Kick-outs were the major talking point as Cork replaced Patrick Doyle with Micheál Aodh Martin in goal and still struggled on restarts, losing 10 out of 25.
There's also a look back at the U20 footballers' draw in Clare as they've Kerry next up.
The ladies footballers had a great comeback against Galway, lifting the Division 1 league for the first time in seven seasons.
Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Echo Sport Podcast
The Echo Sport Podcast crew breaks down the Premier Senior and Premier Intermediate Hurling finals on this week's show, as well as previewing a busy Bank Holiday weekend as the Cork GAA season hits its thrilling conclusion. The big prizes on Sunday afternoon went to Glen Rovers and Ballincollig. Neither game fully caught fire but the Glen won't care after edging the first county final against the Barrs in 38 years thanks to a pair of Eoin O'Leary goals and a steady showing overall. O'Leary's haul of 2-2 took him to 5-13 for the season and surely on the radar of the Cork selectors. The Glen were just that bit better balanced than the Barrs, who did have a late shout for a penalty to force a draw, and it was a sweet victory after being relegated in 2023. It also atoned for county final losses in 2018, '19 and '20. Barrs were 0-12 to 0-10 up at the break having finished the first half well but O'Leary's opening goal turned the tide. Patrick Horgan finished with 0-3 from play but so too did midfielder Rhys Dunne. Ethan Twomey clipped a staggering 0-5 from play in the second half for the Barrs but it wasn't enough. Ballincollig were a point down at half-time against Dungourney after a slow start but took control in the second half to make up for losing the PIHC final 12 months ago to Ballinhassig. Adam Wills rifled the goal, his brother Stephen Willis picked up Man of the Match for his clinical shooting from play while Theo Morgan and Cian O'Driscoll nailed 0-3 apiece. In defence, James Dwyer, Ross O'Donovan, Barry Coleman and Fenton Denny were also immense. It's a blend of hurling and football next weekend, with the Premier Junior Hurling final on Friday night pairing St Catherine's and Kilshannig. On Sunday afternoon, there's a football double-header, Cobh versus Canovee at Premier Junior, followed by champions St Finbarr's against great rivals Nemo Rangers in a repeat of last year's Premier Senior decider. Now in its fourth season, every Monday, Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field. You can listen on Echolive.ie/podcast or anywhere you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to log onto www.IrishExaminer.com as well to catch up on their analysis including The Replay, the new highlights show anchored by Seanie McGrath, Dalo’s Hurling Show and The Gaelic Football Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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