Colman Corrigan not worried for the Cork footballers despite eight departures 

Cork football legend Colman Corrigan believes the Rebels are still on the right path. 

The Leesiders have lost eight players with the new campaign getting underway with a home match against Meath at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday week in the Allianz Division 2 football league. 

There has been three retirements in John O’Rourke, Killian O’Hanlon and Thomas Clancy with Steven Sherlock, Damien Gore and Fionn Herlihy opting out for 2025. Jack Cahalane is gone to the Cork hurlers and Kevin Flahive is travelling.

The recent player exodus has raised some eyebrows, coming on the back of a 2024 campaign which culminated in Cork being pipped by Louth at the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final stage. 

Corrigan, who won five Munster titles and two All-Ireland medals during a glittering Cork senior football career, isn’t panicking.

“There are many players dropping out of county panels with the big one being Brian Fenton from Dublin,” the Macroom native says when speaking to The Echo on Monday evening. 

“In fairness from a Cork point of view, a few of the lads who have left gave great service over many years. For whatever reason, other players have left the panel for their own reasons and I am not privy to that. From a Cork supporters perspective, it’s always disappointing when you see lads leave who you think are good enough.

“Eight players leaving does seem to be quite a bit, but if you take Jack Cahalane for example, coming from one of the great GAA families in Cork, I am sure knowing his mother and father and his family, it would have been discussed as to why he opted out of the Cork football panel. 

"I am sure the decision they came to was for all the right reasons. Jack is only 22 years of age, that door should remain open all of the time. I am sure John Cleary knows that and I know John well. He will have handled that situation very well.

“The players are in a tight-knit group. Steven Sherlock was a surprising one but maybe he wants to focus on St Finbarr’s. Some of my football buddies always slag me that I am always optimistic when it comes to Cork football, but a lot of new faces have come in the door as well. I wouldn’t be worried at all.” 

While there have been many players depart the panel, it does give others on Leeside a chance to impress the Cork management and Corrigan believes the new players will add to the group.

“While many of the Cork supporters might be a bit iffy about where Cork football is at the moment, I think they are after making very good strides,” he said.

“I know they aren’t the finished product. Our friends across the county bounds aren’t in the greatest of positions either. Whereas before Kerry would have an abundance of talent, I go down there quite often and my GAA friends down there know that Kerry haven’t brought up a huge amount of talent over the last few years.

“Add that to the freshness of this new Cork team with the new faces of the likes of Hugh O’Connor, Dano Dineen, Éanna O’Hanlon and more, these guys are really, really top footballers. Chris Óg Jones has been in great form. I take my hat off to him for the way he conducted himself last season for Muskerry. He played for his division a week out from his club [Iveleary] playing a county semi-final. It showed the real character of an inter-county footballer.

“Cork might be shy of two or three players but so are other teams. I know we had a desperately shocking result against Louth last season that ended the year. The way we lost, it was very disappointing, too many mistakes all over the pitch. The reaction was normal from the Cork fans. There is talent and there are a good number of new players after coming onto the panel.”  

What does Corrigan want to see from the Cork senior footballers this year?

“I would love to see them play open expansive football and move the ball at pace. Maybe the new rules might just help us. Getting promotion is obviously a major priority, which will give the players confidence. That’s a massive thing at inter-county level. If Cork could get promoted, that confidence will flow into the Limerick game in the Munster championship quarter-final.

“And then if you win that, Cork have Kerry at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. People must remember that Cork had Kerry on the ropes in Munster last April in Killarney. Only for poor shooting and wrong decision making at vital times, Cork would have won that match.

“Cork supporters should have a small bit of optimism going into the new season. I am not saying we are going to walk up the steps of the Hogan Stand in July, but I think the Cork footballers can have a really positive 2025.” Corrigan concluded.