Magpie spreads his wings - Midleton blow as Sam Quirke set to depart for USA

Midleton will have to cope without Sam Quirke for the coming season, with the former Cork panellist set to depart for the United States.

Quirke, who picked up All-Ireland U20 hurling medals as Cork won the titles of 2020 and 2021, was part of the senior squad in 2022 and 2023, featuring in the Allianz Hurling League. While he was on the extended panel at the beginning of 2024, he was not included in the 37-man league squad that was named at the end of January that year.

In 2019, Quirke was to the fore as Midleton CBS became the first Cork school in 13 years to win the Dr Harty Cup, putting in a series of strong performances at midfield.

That fed in to his success with the Cork U20s, with Quirke on the panel for the 2020 win, which was achieved in July 2021, before then taking a place at midfield for the 2021 victory, achieved just six weeks later.

That year also saw Quirke play a leading role as Midleton won the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC, beating Glen Rovers in the final to claim the Seán Óg Murphy Cup for the first time since 2013. Later in the year, he was rewarded for his consistent performances at centrefield as he was named on the Reardens All-Star Hurling Team.

Though the Magpies would exit the county championship at the group stage in 2022, Quirke was a Cork senior hurler by that stage, having scored a point when he made his Allianz Hurling League debut as a sub in the win away to Offaly.

He also featured off the bench in the victory at Wexford as well as the semi-final defeat to Kilkenny. In 2023, he started the league games against Galway and Westmeath and was again instrumental as Midleton made the latter stages of the championship, reaching the county final but losing by two points against Sarsfields.

Sars were again the victors, this time by a point, when Midleton’s 2024 season came to an end at the semi-final stage, though it was an eventful campaign for Quirke.

Though he featured for Cork in the Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League – and was named to start in the game against Limerick that was postponed three times before being cancelled – he was not in the squad for the league or championship and so spent some time in the US, playing for Tipperary San Franscisco.

While he returned home in time for the Premier SHC with Midleton, his period of clearance had not expired before the opening group-stage win over Charleville, for which he was selected.

Quirke, Midleton club chairperson John Fenton and secretary Liam Wade were all given 12-week suspensions by Cork County Board, though the GAA’s Central Council later reinstated all three and Quirke helped Micheál Keohane’s team reach the last four.

Midleton, who have Frank Flannery on board as coach for the coming season, now look set to have to cope without him for a championship campaign where they will meet Charleville, Newcestown and Newtownshandrum.