Rory Noonan: My daughter and a whole generation of Cork fans are crying out for an All-Ireland

She has been to every county in Munster to watch Cork play.

Add in others like Dublin, Kilkenny, Offaly, Laois, Galway, Armagh, Mayo, and Wexford, to name a few, and you get the picture of how far and wide she has travelled to watch the Rebels.

She has been to soccer and rugby internationals at the Aviva and was lucky enough to be behind the goal when Shane Long scored his famous strike against Germany.

In her own words, ‘she was reared on a sideline’ and loves every minute of it.

She has also seen Cork win ladies football, camogie, minor, and U20/21 All-Ireland titles over the years and has celebrated them all. But she has also been comforted by her older brother and 'old man' after seeing Cork lose finals and semi-finals at Croker.

She sat in the stand at Croker two weeks ago and watched Cork win another All-Ireland hurling semi-final, and somehow the long car journey home flew regaling about the seven goals and how well the Rebels played.

Already through sport, and in particular watching the camogie and hurling teams, she has memories to last a lifetime.

But like thousands of other young Cork supporters, there is something she has never seen. I am talking about my daughter Zoe, who, at 18 years of age, has never seen Cork win the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Zo was born in March 2007 and in May went to her first game, as her older brothers’ school were playing in a Sciath na Scol final at Páirc Ui Rinn.Since then, Zo has lost count of the number of club and inter-county games she has been lucky enough to attend.

Hanging in a collage on her bedroom wall are pics of players like Sean Powter and Shane Kingston after her club, Douglas, won the U21 county football championship. In that same collage are people like Anna Geary, Libby Coppinger, Ashling Thompson, and Alan and Eoin Cadogan. 

All hero worshipped over the years, and some of them still are.

But I could be talking about the younger brother, sister, son or daughter of thousands of Cork fans, who are all in the same boat.

We tell them stories of Seán Óg or Graham Canty, and others lifting All-Ireland cups, and it’s only stuff they can dream about.

Last year many of them came close to their first memory of Cork lifting Liam come true but it wasn’t to be.

So once again on Sunday, some will be lucky enough to be at Croker, others will watch at home with family or friends.

GRIPPED

Plenty will watch around the country or further afield as this game has gripped the imagination of sporting fans everywhere.

As you walk towards the ground, you will see young beaming fans in their Rebel red hoping it will be a day they will never forget. A day that their memories of Cork winning Liam will start, days that some of us have great memories of over the years.

A new generation or generations of young fans to be inspired by the likes of Hoggie, Brian Hayes, Alan Connolly, Rob Downey, Darragh Fitz, and more. A day that the long journey home will pass in a flash as they recall every play and every score with a beaming smile.

A day that the famine will end and young and old can celebrate a Cork victory, a day that won’t be forgotten as hopefully another great bit of Rebel history will be written.

A day that the cry of ‘Rebels’ will be heard into the early hours of the morning, and then some more at a triumphant homecoming on Monday night.

A day that dreams are made of.