Cork look to turn underage supremacy into senior success again

IN recent times, from U14 to minor, Cork has won its fair share of provincial and national LGFA titles.

The experience of lifting a Munster or All-Ireland (underage) trophy coupled with being part of a winning environment are vital elements for any young inter-county player’s development.

Some outstanding coaching work, carried out by various Cork LGFA mentors and management teams, has delivered U14, U16 and Minor All-Ireland triumphs during the past six years.

These are significant, time-consuming and hard-earned achievements. Defeating the best the country has to offer at those age grades requires meticulous coaching and execution.

Yet in that same timeframe, Cork has failed to win an All-Ireland LGFA senior title and contested two finals.

The Rebels’ last senior success was back in 2016. 

A narrow 1-7 to 1-6 win over Dublin in which Carla Rowe famously had what looked like a legitimate a point waved wide.

Ephie Fitzgerald’s first year in charge delivered a sixth All-Ireland senior title in a row that afternoon. Unknowingly, it also brought the curtain down on Cork’s incredible run of 11 senior All-Ireland titles in 12 years.

Trying to maintain the late Éamonn Ryan and his Cork team’s magical successes was going to be an impossible task. In fairness to Fitzgerald and Shane Ronayne, they have (and continue to) given it their best shot. The majority of Cork senior players from that decade of dominance were all retired within a couple of years. 

That meant a rebuild and rebuilds take time.

Add to that, Dublin, Meath, Mayo and Kerry’s emergence as perennial All-Ireland challengers.  Those counties on-field improvements have only served to increase the difficulty of bringing the Brendan Martin Cup back to Leeside.

What is significant about the last six All-Ireland senior champions, Dublin (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and Meath (2021 and 2022), is that neither county has won a minor ‘A’ All-Ireland since the Dubs triumphed back in 2012. In fact, Meath has never won a minor ‘A’ title.

DOMINANT

In contrast, Cork claimed the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022 minor ‘A’ All-Irelands and were runners-up to Galway in 2018. 

The Rebels’ dominance of the U18 age grade would be even more apparent if Covid-19 had not caused the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 championships.

Cork supremacy at those underage grades is something to be celebrated. 

Yet, not enough of those graduates were able to make an impact or help turn the Rebels into senior champions. Whereas Dublin and Meath managed to bring through enough young talent, without any inter-county minor titles, to dominate the All-Ireland senior scene.

So what can be done?

It is worth pointing out that Ephie Fitzgerald and Shane Ronayne have given a plethora of minors their chance in a Cork senior jersey. Ronayne and other managers around the country would also support the introduction of an U20/U21 inter-county grade to help bridge the gap.

Peter O’Leary is looking after this year’s Cork LGFA senior B panel. That’s another positive move in giving fringe players a chance to show what they can do in a Rebel jersey.

Joined-up thinking between Shane Ronayne and Cork’s underage managers, including a common approach to player development, is having a positive effect.

This year’s Cork underage managers Jamie Cronin (minor), Kieran O’Shea (U16A) Kenneth Burns (U16B) and JJ Deasy (U14) are united in their belief that player development is key and winning an All-Ireland a bonus.

So preparing players for the next step up in inter-county football might not deliver trophies but that doesn’t mean those coaches' or players' efforts have been unsuccessful.

As a result, an increasing number of emerging talents are making their mark in the early months of 2023.

Results aside, Cork’s minors have performed consistently well and looked at a large number of players against Tipperary and Limerick in opening rounds of the Munster LGFA championship. Likewise for the Cork’s U16 As and Bs following their recent provincial openers against Limerick.

Last year, JJ Deasy’s Cork U14s lost a terrific All-Ireland final against Kerry at Páirc Uí Rinn. 

Playing in front of a huge attendance and learning what it is like to lose a tight final will be of huge benefit to those young Cork players.

A quick glance at a recent Cork LGFA senior panel saw Aoife Healy, Rachel Leahy, Sarah Leahy, Katie Quirke, Orlaith Cahalane, Abbie O’Mahony, Ellie Jack, Dara Kiniry, Sadhbh McGoldrick, Isobel Sheehan and Roise Corkery receive game time.

That’s a talented list of young footballers hungry for success and being given their chance at senior level.

In 2023, it will not be a disaster if Cork are unsuccessful in their All-Ireland underage championships.

Producing players that are ready to make the next step up will be far more important to help Cork eventually return to the summit of the senior grade.