Imokilly's ace wing-back John Cronin rolled with the punches after missing out on the Cork panel to land a senior medal

THEY say county titles for a division doesn’t mean the same as they do for clubs, but you wouldn’t have known it by the reaction yesterday.

The Imokilly players, mentors, their families and supporters celebrated heartily after beating Blackrock as misty rain descended from the skies at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. They gathered in club groups to get photos with the cup on the pitch before eventually heading into the dressing room 40 minutes after the final whistle blew.

John Cronin was at the heart of the Lisgoold contingent, his brother Ciarán a selector, and John Cashman and Liam O’Shea panelists. The number seven excelled all season and had a powerful last quarter here. “I always hear interviews when fellas say they’re lost for words and they’re right. You’ve such emotion and pride and I’m just thrilled to be a Lisgoold man today. My own brother is a selector and a few years ago I was playing against him!”

Back then Cronin was in CIT. He made his name with the college, losing a county final to Carrigtwohill – where his mother is from – back in 2011. This year, having graduated to take up a job with First South Credit Union, he linked up with the division.

Invested

“The very first day we played Ballymartle in February and we’d only 16 players. I’d been so invested in CIT I was wondering was it for me. They put me wing-back and I was thinking ‘mother of God what am I doing here!’

“We were wearing jerseys that were the ones Jimmy (Smiddy) had on when he won it ’98 I’d say. But we stuck with it and the work the management did behind the scenes was untold, stuff that no one knows about.

“We’ve been living in Fota Resort for the past six weeks. Conor Coleman is a great physio. He got everyone to a man right for this.”

Cronin felt he owes a debt of gratitude to those who shaped him as a hurler. ““It’s great to bring pride to other people in your parish and club. This is for my family and everyone who’s put something in, schools, Midleton CBS, to CIT, Keith Ricken, Pat Mulcahy.”

In some respects it was a point proven for the 25-year-old. Having featured in championship for Cork in 2016 he was then cut from the panel.

“The day before my graduation I got a 30-second phone call that rocked me. Still does. But I said it wasn’t going to define my year. I was going to drive on anyway.

“I’d come in late after the Fitzgibbon and I was hoping to get a proper run at it. You get setbacks and you have to roll with the punches.”

That he certainly did.