Thomas Clancy on his Cork career and importance of the team doing well in championship this year

Former Cork footballer Thomas Clancy says he has no regrets at how his career with the Rebels panned out.

The Clonakilty player made the difficult decision to retire from inter-county football at the end of last year having first joined the panel before the 2013 campaign.

It was a career that was dogged by injuries and bad luck for Clancy, but his commitment and dedication to the cause was never in question. He was a real leader. 

“It was a tough decision to walk away, probably harder than I thought,” he says.

“Halfway through last year we got the news that we were having another baby at home. So, I was saying to myself that this is it now. I wouldn’t be able to give the commitment needed in 2025.

“When it came to making the decision in the off season, I met with the Cork manager John Cleary and spoke with a few of the players. It’s very difficult to walk away from a group like that. What made it harder was that it was going to be the same management and a lot of the same players.

“I was probably close to going back and giving it one more crack, but when I stepped back and thought about things, I made the right call to retire from inter-county football. We have now two kids at home, only 14 months between them, so it’s a busy house.

“My full focus now is on my family and with my club, Clonakilty. Being able to give more back to the club is always nice because when you're with the inter-county team, that’s it. You're missing all the club league games.” 

How does Clancy look back on his Cork senior football career now that the dust has firmly settled?

“I was coming into the Cork senior set-up on the back of being involved with successful minor and U21 teams,” he said.

“I was after winning four Munster medals on the trot and you think that will carry on when you get into the senior panel. Looking back, my first season in 2013, it doesn’t feel that long ago, Cork were in a good spot. The first few years, we were always competing at the top end of Division 1.

“We were very competitive, but at that time, we were judged on what we did in the championship. Even if we did well in the league, it was always said, oh what are they going to do in the championship.

“Whereas now, Cork would love to be playing in Division 1 and competing in a league final and so on. When I joined the panel, the team were just after winning the Munster championship the season before and haven’t won it since.

“To walk away from my Cork senior career without winning any real medals worth talking about, is not a nice thing to walk away from in that regard, but that’s the way it goes. It’s very hard to know why things went the way they did since. Cork spent one season in Division 3 in 2020. I have no regrets though. Proud to have worn the Cork jersey.” 

The Leesiders this season finished in fifth place in the Allianz Division 2 Football League with a points tally of eight, their highest in the top two tiers since 2015. 

They took care of Limerick in the Munster championship quarter-final last Saturday. Next up is a semi-final meeting with Kerry on Saturday week at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The West Cork native does feel Cork are looking up.

“I do believe Cork are turning a corner and it’s a case of staying at it. They did miss out on promotion in the league and they will be going after that again next year. The big focus for the group this season is the Munster championship. 

"I know many people won’t give them a chance against Kerry, but if you look back on the last couple of years, we haven’t been too far off them.

“Every Cork football supporter wants the team to win a Munster title. 2012 has been too long. For the team to make big strides in the right direction, they will be judged on what happens in Munster and the overall championship.”