BRIAN Hurley admitted it is a great ‘honour’ to captain the Cork senior footballers and represent his beloved club Castlehaven on the national stage.

Brian who captained the Cork senior footballers to success in the McGrath Cup earlier this year has enjoyed a very strong start to the season with a number of superb individual displays. He said he is honored to have been appointed as captain. 

“It is a great honour to captain the Cork senior footballers this year. It is lovely to represent the club. Everyone lives and breathes it in the club so it is a special feeling. There are a lot of leaders in the Cork senior football squad. John Cleary is the main man. We will follow his guidance at the end of the day,” he said.

The Cork senior footballers have enjoyed a very productive start to the season. Success in the McGrath Cup has been followed by a series of strong displays in the national football league. Brian is pleased things are coming together. 

“We are definitely heading in the right direction. There has been a lot of work put in. It is coming together nicely now. We are getting a good few wins in a row. There is a lot of competition for places which is good and training is going well. This helps to keep the older players on our toes.” 

Brian has been joined on the Cork senior football team for the past two years by his Castlehaven club colleague Rory Maguire. The Cork captain has been impressed by his attitude. 

“Rory is flying it. He has slotted into the team with no problem. It is all about living and breathing it. If you tick all the boxes and you are obsessed with it, it is half the battle.” 

Brian and Rory recently presented medals to six Castlehaven underage boys and girls football teams who enjoyed success last year. Brian re-emphasised how vital it is to listen to club coaches. 

“It feels like I was only playing underage football with Castlehaven a few years ago. Time flies and players have to enjoy playing as well. Always listen to the coaches. We have some of the best in the country.

“They helped Rory Maguire and me to get to where we are today. Take on board what your coaches tell you. Sometimes it mightn’t be always positive but they are trying to put you in the right place. Just listen to them and practice as much as possible,” he added.

Rory Maguire has proved a huge asset to the Cork senior footballers since he was added to the panel last year. 

He has displayed his versatility by playing in a number of defensive positions which include centre back, wing back, and full back.

 His physicality, ability to read the game, and calm demeanor all suggest he will be a formidable player for the Rebels for the foreseeable future.

Rory whose father Michael also played senior football for Cork as a goalkeeper admitted it is a ‘great’ feeling to play for Cork. 

"It is something every young player dreams about. It is a great feeling to be playing for the Cork senior footballers."
"Castlehaven GAA Club is rich in history and it is a great feeling to carry on the tradition of Haven players also playing for Cork.

"It also helps to have a Castlehaven man in charge of the Cork senior football team. I am only trying to do my bit and trying to help Cork in the right direction.” 

“My family has been a huge help to me throughout my career,” said Rory whose family are stepped in the GAA. 

“I have always had their backing and they have been great for dropping me to training. They have been great to show me the right way. It is always great to have examples in your family. 

"The players in my club such as Brian Hurley, Mark Collins, and Damien Cahalane have also been a big help. They have been very helpful in giving advice. I take inspiration from the way they trained and played hard with Cork. They then came back and drove it on with the club.” 

Cork are scheduled to play Clare in the quarter-final of the Munster senior football championship on Sunday, April 9 in Ennis. Rory said they are looking forward to the start of the championship. 

“We are definitely going in a positive direction. We have won a good few games in a row. We are looking forward to finishing off the league strongly."

"We are looking forward to the Munster championship. We are constantly building and building. Hopefully, we will enjoy a good championship campaign.” 

The Cork senior footballers have added former Galway and Sligo senior football manager Kevin Walsh to their backroom team for this year. The Galway man is highly regarded and is expected to bring technical and tactical coaching acumen and knowledge. Rory said Walsh is trying to ‘rectify’ the shipping of big scores in recent years. 

“Kevin is a great addition. He has ten years of experience in inter-county management. He is trying to shore us up defensively. We have shipped big scores in recent years. He has come in and he is trying to rectify this. If we can keep the scores we concede to a minimum, I am confident we have plenty of firepower up front to hurt any team.”