Tom Kenny: The GAA needs a Cork All-Ireland win

Two-time Cork All-Ireland hurling winner Tom Kenny always believed in the Rebels despite the poor start to the championship this season.

Pat Ryan’s charges lost their opening two Munster championship round-robin games and were on the brink of bowing out but turned it around in emphatic fashion which started with a win over Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. This Sunday, Cork face Clare in the All-Ireland SHC final in Croke Park at 3.30pm.

The Leesiders haven’t brought the Liam MacCarthy Cup home since 2005 but that could very soon be coming to an end.

“The defeats to Waterford and Clare, Cork didn’t play particularly badly in those games,” Kenny says, who won All-Ireland medals in 2004 and 2005.

“The results didn’t go Cork’s way and mistakes at crucial stages were punished and it was a case of trying to eradicate those mistakes. They put in a fantastic performance against Limerick and it was a coming of the age for the stadium [SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh]. It was a new performance as such.

“Cork needed a bit of luck. If you go back to last season above in the TUS Gaelic Grounds, Cork were beaten by a point and I think if Cork drew, Limerick would have been out. While I am not putting it down to luck, sometimes you need just that rub of the green to win games and that was absent for the players over the last number of seasons.

“Thankfully after the Waterford and Clare defeats, it just snowballed. I always had the faith that Cork would progress even if it looked slim. Once they got out of Munster, they had a relatively straightforward route to an All-Ireland semi-final and that’s no disrespect to Offaly and Dublin.” 

Kenny, who came on in the All-Ireland final replay defeat to Clare in 2013, has nothing but praise for the current Rebels boss.

“I am not saying luck is the only factor why Cork have got to an All-Ireland final if you just look at Pat Ryan’s credentials,” the Grenagh club man said.

“As a player, he won numerous titles with Sarsfields and won an All-Ireland medal with Cork in 1999. He has coached Sarsfields to county championships and was over two successful Cork U20 All-Ireland winning teams a few years ago. Pat and his management team have fantastic pedigree and a very good working relationship and an excellent backroom team in place.

“Pat has guided the ship over the last couple of years and has guided Cork to an All-Ireland final. He is a proven winner as a player and a manager. He knows how to get the best out of players. To bring a group together and for everyone to be pulling in the same direction is no mean feat.” 

Cork haven’t won the All-Ireland since 2005 when they defeated Galway on a scoreline of 1-21 to 1-16 in the final. Kenny was midfield that day and chipped in with three points. 19 years is a long time for the Rebels to be without the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

“If you walked off the pitch in 2005 and were told that Cork would go 19 years without an All-Ireland, you would have laughed,” Kenny says.

“Cork fans in the stadium that day would have assumed we would win another one in 2006, came very close. We were coming up against Kilkenny who were in their pomp and we might have been on a downward spiral at that stage. We had a lot of years together but obviously you wouldn’t have predicted 19 years in 2005.

“I suppose that 2004 and 2005 winning teams were backboned by winning underage teams. Something similar now with this current team. Hopefully it won’t be another 19 years if we do get over the line on Sunday.” 

Cork City and County will go into a frenzy mood if the hurlers do manage to beat Clare on Sunday. It has been too long of a wait.

“The colour and the support that Cork bring is just brilliant. Clare will be tough and it will be different to the Limerick match in terms of the speed of the game and what Clare will bring. It would be huge for Cork if they can get over the line. It can arrest the ghosts of all previous teams back to 2005 and those teams can fade into the background for these new lads.

“Seán O’Donoghue as captain, Mark Coleman, Séamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan, they can get due recognition for their reward. They can become the next generation of players that have won All-Ireland titles that youngsters growing up can look up to and say I want to emulate these players. The GAA probably needs a Cork All-Ireland win.” Kenny concluded.