The Echo Sport Podcast: Cork hurling panel, who should have been included? Plus U21 club championships thrill under new rules

The Echo Sport Podcast takes in all the latest GAA action, with a focus on the 37-man squad picked by Pat Ryan and his selectors for the hurling league.

Now in it's third season, every week Éamonn Murphy will be joined by The Echo team including Barry O'Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.

The hurlers have another weekend off before their next league game, away to Tipp, but revealed the panel they'll use for the rest of the spring with some of last year's squad cut. That included Seán Twomey, who started the Munster championship game in Waterford in 2024, and Conor Cahalane, who has significant championship experience.

Injuries to Padraig Power, with a cruciate, Conor Lehane and Seamus Harnedy have since cast a shadow on preparation.

Could a dark horse come into the set-up between here and the provincial campaign, like Power last summer? 

Jack Leahy perhaps, given his excellent form with UL on the back of a county title for Imokilly?

A number of Rebels are involved in the Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final with UCC and MTU Cork hoping to set up an all-Leeside final. We preview their chances against DCU and UL.

DRIVEN

MTU target-man Alan Walsh, who grabbed a hat-trick in the quarter-final, and UCC's mercurial forward William Buckley have no shortage of motivation after missing out on the Cork squad. Ben Cunningham recently had surgery which rules him out until the summer and is a massive loss for the College.

The Cork footballers are back in league action at home to Westmeath after a weekend off. They'd a thrilling victory over Meath in the opener but lost on the road to Down in their second outing, a significant blow to their promotion hopes.

With the likes of Brian Hurley and Ian Maguire out injured, and some new faces in the squad, this is a transitional phase for John Cleary and his selectors but the pressure is still on to deliver results.

They've proved adept at kicking two-pointers under the new rules but their defence will need to be tighter as they build for championship.

On the local scene, the revamped version of football produced some terrific games and a welter of excitement, with Naomh Abán's Ed Myers catching the eye with four two-pointers.

On the camogie front, there was more heartbreak for UCC. Since capturing a 32nd Ashbourne Cup in 2003 they've now lost nine finals. This time they were pipped by UL, despite Clodagh Finn and Emma Murphy's scoring efforts in leading a comeback.

The Cork ladies footballers made it two wins from three league games as they bid to escape from Division 2. Joe Carroll's charges hit Tipp for three goals with the return of Erika O'Shea from Aussie Rules a major boost for the Rebels.

You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast/