Cork minor footballers reveal team to take on Kerry at Páirc Uí Chaoimh

CORK minor footballers embark on a journey this evening with a target of becoming the first team in 30 years to complete a Munster three-in-a-row.

First up for the champions are familiar foes Kerry in a quarter-final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh with a 7pm throw-in, the same time as the round-robin final involving Tipperary and Limerick in Mallow.

In another tweaking of the system, there will be no losers as such in either game because all four will advance to contest next week’s semi-finals, also on a Thursday, with the winners of Cork/Kerry meeting the losers of the other game and vice-versa too.

Last season the competition had a different format. Again, there was a round-robin without the big two and once more it was Tipp and Limerick in the final with the Premier County confirming their superiority with a 1-14 to 1-4 victory.

That meant the end of the road for Limerick after four games with Tipp advancing to play Cork in the semi-final, the Rebels bouncing back in style in a 3-20 to 1-13 victory.

You’ll recall Kerry trimmed Cork by 1-16 to 0-5 in the opening game in Tralee and moved directly to the final at Páirc Uí Rinn some 20 days later, but in a remarkable 25-point turnaround it was the Rebels who came out on top, winning sensationally by 3-11 to 0-9 to retain their crown.

It was Cork’s 31st title in the grade, Kerry top the charts with 49, and puts them in with a shout of completing a hat-trick of victories for the first time since 1993.

Cork first recorded three-in-a-row between 1959-1961, repeating it with a four-in-a-row from 1966 and doing it again from 1971 to 74. Another three on the spin followed between 1985-87.

Kerry had been the dominant county in recent years streaking to eight on the spin from 2013, when also winning five All-Irelands on the trot.

Cork are managed by Ray O’Mahony (Éire Óg) with selectors Daniel Cronin (St Mary’s), Eamon O’Connor (Kildorrery), Daire O’Sullivan (Naomh Aban) and James Condon (Glanworth). The goalkeeper coach is Declan Murphy (St Finbarr’s). Cronin was also a selector last season.

CORK v KERRY:

Billy Curtin (Valley Rovers); 

Liam Hourihan (St Colum's), Frank Hurley (O’Donovan Rossa), Matthew Ahern (St Finbarr's);

Odhran Foley (Bishopstown), Gearoid Daly (Mallow), Trevor Kiely (Doneraile);

Mark Hetherington (St Finbarr's), Darragh Clifford (Éire Óg); 

Timothy Cullinane (Ballinascarthy), Dara Sheedy (Bantry Blues), David O’Leary (Ballincollig);

Denis O’Mullane (Kilmurry), Sean Coakley (Douglas), Garry Holland (Bishopstown). 

Subs: Devin Fray (Mallow), Sean O’Leary (Kilmurry), Oier O’Callaghan (Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels), James O’Riordan (Croke Rovers, Castlemagner), Adam Dineen (Cill na Martra), Mark O’Brien (Ballinora), Keith McCarthy (Dohenys/Sam Maguire), Cian O’Sullivan (St Finbarr's), James O’Leary (Douglas). 

Cork have joint captains in Gearoid Daly (Mallow), who was centre-back in 2022, and Sean Coakley from county minor champions Douglas, a talented forward with a keen eye for the posts.

Coakley helped St Francis College Rochestown reach the Corn Uí Mhuirí final in February when their injury-ravaged side lost to a St Brendan’s Killarney side with a couple of representatives of their own in the county set-up.

Keelan O’Shea (Kilcummin) fills the important centre-back role with Jamie Moynihan (Glenflesk) outside him at left half-back.

Kerry can also call on corner-forward Paddy Lane (Austin Stacks) from last season’s starting 15, named at full-forward in a team containing panellists Padraig Moynihan (Rathmore) and Evan Boyle (Ballyduff) from 2022.

Moynihan is named at right half-back with Boyle captaining the team from midfield and Kerry appear to be very strong around the middle eight once again.

In the other game, Tipp will be expected to continue on their winning run, having won all three games in the round-robin series, including a 1-11 to 0-7 victory over this evening’s opponents, Limerick, who edged out Clare with Waterford losing all three games.

Meanwhile, the Tailteann Cup kicks off on Saturday with games in all four groups, including Limerick’s visit to play Carlow at Cullen Park at 3pm and Ephie Fitzgerald’s Waterford hosting Colm O’Rourke’s Meath at the Fraher Field in Dungarvan at 6.30pm. On Sunday, it’s Tipperary’s turn against Down in Thurles at 1.45pm.

Limerick forced Clare all the way to a nail-biting finish in their Munster semi-final, casting aside their poor league form in the process to suggest they can do the same with Carlow if Limerick can reproduce that kind of form. The other Group 3 game is between Longford and Wicklow at Pearse Park at 5pm.

Waterford and Tipp got no joy at all from the draw which pits them against two of the competition’s favourites even if all the pressure is on Meath and Down.

The Tailteann Cup opens in London who have Cavan as visitors with the Ulster county hot favourites to make a winning start in a tough group containing Laois and Offaly.