The Echo Sport Podcast: Cork hurlers won't be fooled by hype; footballers find form

Cork delivered across the board over the weekend, the hurlers brushed Galway aside, the footballers took down Cavan to protect their position in the All-Ireland series and the camogie and ladies footballers moved into the league final with a game to spare.

For the hurling faithful, it was another excellent performance, Pat Ryan's side building up a head of steam but the knee injury that forced Brian Hayes off was a major downside. He was having another electric game at the edge of the square and losing him for championship would be a savage blow.

There were brilliant displays across the pitch from Niall O'Leary and Rob Downey to Tim O'Mahony, Shane Barrett and Patrick Horgan further up. 

Next up is a league final against an equally in-form Tipp and while it's 'only the league', Cork badly need a trophy.

Cork are being hyped up nationally now as the team to beat but they well know that Clare, Limerick and more are waiting in the long grass with little interest in how the league panned out.

For John Cleary's footballers, they've ended the league after a couple of very good showings but again just outside the promotion places. It's only two weeks until championship throws in, against a Limerick team they'll be expected to beat but had a good league themselves.

At club level, the availability of Cork players was a notable aspect of the action, with Jack Cahalane helping St Finbarr's to a draw with Charleville on a night when William Buckley and Jack Doyle was razor-sharp, Division 1 champions Sars utilising Cathal McCarthy, Jack O'Connor and Daniel Hogan, scorer of 0-6, in beating Douglas, and Conor Lehane offering a reminder of his class with 0-11 for Midelton against Ballincollig in Division 2.

Unfortunately, away from the playing fields, a darkness has been cast by a host of tragic deaths, including the passing of Midleton and Cork All-Ireland winning forward Ger Fitzgerald after illness and the sudden loss of 18-year-old tyro from Kilbrittain and Hamilton High School Oisín Gillain. Like Sars' Ray Ryan and Midleton U21 county winner Darragh McCarthy, they'll be hugely missed by family, friends, club members and the wider Cork GAA community.

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