Cork hurling fans: Everything you need to know about the All-Ireland series
Cork fans celebrate against Limerick during the Munster SHC final at TUS Gaelic Grounds. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
After a whirlwind Munster campaign, Cork can afford to take a breath this week.
The hurlers enjoyed the celebrations in recent days. The scenes in the TUS Gaelic Grounds were incredible, a red mass of colour and emotion on the pitch as the Mick Mackey Cup was presented and the players and management soaking it all in.
They had some downtime then on Sunday, including bringing the trophy back to Glen Rovers, the home of captain Rob Downey.
The response to the league final victory was understandably muted with the provincial championship looming so they needed to blow off a bit of steam.
They're back in action on Saturday, July 5 where a repeat of the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final with Tipp is likely. Technically Cork can meet any remaining county outside of Limerick that evening on Jones Road: Tipp, Galway, Dublin, Kildare or Laois. On form though, Tipp and Limerick are bankers to progress.
Cork failed to reach the All-Ireland after the three Munster titles in the last decade, losing to Tipp in 2014, Waterford in '17 and Limerick in '18.
Quite understandably, Limerick are still the bookies' favourites for Liam MacCarthy. They've been there and done it before and not too many would expect them to fall to a Leinster team.
That's not Cork's problem for now. Talk is cheap and they've to block out all the chatter about a third installment of the Limerick rivalry in July and just take care of business for now.
To give credit to the Rebels, they've stayed as grounded as they can all year, despite the outside noise and wild hype, a lot of it from commentators very eager to build them up for a fall.
This is a seriously talented group of hurlers but Tipp have momentum and growing confidence, a bit like Cork last summer, Kilkenny will feel they're overdue an All-Ireland after picking up a sixth Leinster crown in succession, while Limerick remain a powerhouse and without doubt the team to beat.
Tim O'Mahony, who knows all about it being a Newtown club man on the Limerick border, summed it up.
"If I'm honest, Limerick are still the team to beat. And I'm not playing ourselves down.
It's not about beating the Treaty anyway for now. Cork will stay grounded and focus on Tipp, or whoever emerges from the next two weekends of action.
Cork have been in 10 semi-finals, not including that season, since the last All-Ireland in 2005 and their record in mixed, four wins and six losses.
Dublin v Kildare; Tipperary v Laois, June 14-15.
Limerick v Dublin/Kildare; Galway v Tipperary/Laois, June 21-22.
Cork game, Saturday, July 5; Kilkenny game, Sunday, July 6.
Provincial final repeats are not permitted and round-robin repeats are avoided where possible. That means if Dublin and Tipp progress, it'll be Cork-Dublin and Kilkenny-Tipp. The likely semis are Cork-Tipp or Galway and Kilkenny-Limerick.
Sunday, July 20.
Cork 1-28 Limerick 0-29.
Cork 1-37 Kilkenny 1-32 (after extra time).
Limerick 3-32 Cork 2-31 (after extra time).
Waterford 4-19 Cork 0-20.
Tipperary 2-18 Cork 1-11.
Cork 1-24 Dublin 1-19.
Galway 0-22 Cork 0-17.
Kilkenny 3-22 Cork 0-19.
Kilkenny 1-23 Cork 0-17.
Cork 1-16 Waterford 1-15.
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