St Finbarr's hurlers in hunt for new manager as Ger Cunningham steps down
Ger Cunningham during the St Finbarr's warm-up ahead of a Senior Hurling League game at Church Road, Blackrock. Picture: Larry Cummins
Cork legend Ger Cunningham will not be continuing into a fifth season in charge of St Finbarr's senior hurlers.
Cunningham confirmed to the club Thursday that he does not intend to allow his name go forward for consideration in 2026. His management team of John Cremin, Billy O'Shea, Sean McCarthy and Kevin Kelliher are also stepping down.
Having not made a county senior final in 29 years, Cunningham led the Barrs to their 26th title in his first season back at the helm in 2022 with a convincing 2-14 to 1-7 final win over Blackrock.
At the start of that campaign, they weren't rated among the main contenders. To make it extra special, Ger's sons Sam and Ben were key members of the county-winning squad.
The following year as champions, they fell at the penultimate hurdle, losing the semi-final by a point to Midleton. 2024 was their poorest campaign in terms of championship, as they surprisingly failed to emerge from the group stages, leading to increased focus and pressure on club legend Cunningham.
However they rebounded strongly this season, and were involved in one of two semi-final epics in Cork, again losing by a single point to eventual champions Sarsfields.
The Barrs remain leading contenders heading into 2026, though potential successors to Cunningham, Ronan Curran and Kevin Murray, are involved with the Cork hurlers and footballers, respectively. Former All-Ireland winning Cork minor and U20 selector Ger O'Regan would be a strong option.
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