Munster league dates mean a lot of January activity for Cork hurlers

It will be a busy January for the Cork hurlers as Ben O’Connor settles into life as the new manager of the county senior team.

Having not been contested this year, the Munster Hurling League will return for 2026. With all six counties in the province involved - Kerry compete at Joe McDonagh level in the championship, meaning the Munster SHC comprises five teams - a format of two groups of three will be employed.

Then winners of each section will then meet in the final - it would be the first time since Cork’s 2023 win that the trophy would be awarded as the 2024 edition was left uncompleted when the game between the Rebels and Limerick had to be postponed three times and the fixture could not be fulfilled.

The Munster Council are due to reveal the make-up of the two groups soon, but the dates for the fixtures are known. The action will begin on Saturday, January 3, with the second round of games on the following Wednesday, January 7 and the groups concluding on Monday night, January 12.

All going well, the final would take place the following Saturday, January 17, allowing a week of a lead-in to the beginning of the Allianz Hurling League. Cork’s defence of that competition opens on the weekend of January 24 and 25.

In addition to the two guaranteed Munster league games, Cork will also have the traditional season-opening Canon O’Brien Cup clash against UCC at the Mardyke. There is a possibility that that game could take place before 2025 is out, with the weekend of December 28/29 a viable option if approval is granted from Croke Park. As usual, that fixture will feature Cork panellists lining out on both sides and the game will also serve as a valuable Fitzgibbon Cup warm-up for the college side as they bid to reclaim the trophy last won in 2020.

O’Connor and his management team of Ronan Curran, Terence McCarthy, William Biggane and Niall O’Halloran will use those early-season games to run the rule over players called up to what will be an extended panel for the bulk of January.

Dáire O’Leary of Watergrasshill and Kanturk’s Brian O’Sullivan, who were previously part of the squad under O’Connor’s predecessor Pat Ryan, will among those likely to feature, while Sarsfields pair Cian Darcy and Colm McCarthy have been rewarded with call-ups after the club regained the Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier SHC title.

Attackers Seán Desmond (Watergrasshill), Jack Leahy (Dungourney), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Brian Keating (Ballincollig) and Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket) along with Fr O’Neill’s goalkeeper Paudie O’Sullivan are others who are set to be auditioned.

Following the pre-season games, the panel is likely to be cut to 37 players for the national league. Of the 2025 squad, Conor Lehane, Luke Meade, Robbie Cotter, Daniel Hogan and Darragh Flynn will not be involved while Patrick Horgan had already announced his retirement following a 18-year career in red and white.