Ten years on from Conor Counihan stepping down, are Cork finally on the right road?

WE are coming up to a decade since one of Cork’s most successful football managers stepped down. Conor Counihan called time on his successful six-year period as boss following their All-Ireland championship quarter-final defeat to Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday, August 3 2013. 

The Aghada clubman guided the Rebels to that memorable 2010 All-Ireland title, ending 20 years of hurt, three Munster crowns (2008, 2009 and 2012) and three Division 1 league successes (2010, 2011 and 2012).

Counihan molded together a mix of experienced players and rising stars from the successful U21 teams. 

It was a credit to himself during his tenure that he never moved away from his principles despite facing unfair criticism in the first couple of years.

Since Counihan departed, Cork slipped slowly and slowly down the pecking order but under the current incumbent John Cleary, the Rebels are showing signs of green shoots. 

Cleary was the U21 manager from November 2007 to June 2013. The Castlehaven man guided his charges to four Munster titles and one All-Ireland title during his tenure. Cleary was a selector under his predecessor Tony Leahy when Cork won the All-Ireland in 2007. Cleary was the natural successor to whenever Counihan did decide to step down from the post.

Cleary was red hot favourite to take over in the Autumn of 2013 but ultimately the job went to Bishopstown’s Brian Cuthbert. The former Cork minor boss, who guided his side to a Munster minor title in 2010 endured a challenging two years in charge before stepping down in July 2015. 

Naomh Abán’s Peadar Healy was next to have a go but due to a combination of the inability to bring through the successful U21 players and a high number of players from the historic 2010 All-Ireland senior success no longer involved due to a number of reasons, Cork continued to slip. Relegation from Division 1 was a low point. Healy stepped down in 2017 with Cork well off their rivals Kerry after so many years of close battles. 

Ronan McCarthy was next in line but relegation to Division 3 in 2019 was a dark day before regaining their Division 2 spot in 2020. A few heavy defeats to Kerry and a memorable win over the Kingdom was Cork in a nutshell. Inconsistent.

McCarthy stepped down in 2021 with Keith Ricken coming in, before he had to step aside on health grounds with Cleary, who was the coach, taking on the role on an interim basis halfway through the 2022 season. 

Cleary got the full-time gig last summer and after a positive 2023 campaign, where Cork beat Division 1 teams Mayo and Roscommon in championship, the Rebels supporters are feeling optimistic about the team again. It has been a tough decade since Counihan left, but there are strong signs Cork are back on the right road again.