Barry Walsh relishing opportunity with Cork senior squad

While Barry Walsh accepts that it will be a step up as he adjusts to life on the Cork senior hurling panel, it won’t be his first time in such a scenario with Ben O’Connor as his manager.

The Killeagh starlet is one of a number of players that will be looked at by O’Connor and the new management team in January and he is looking forward to the prospect. At the same time, he is grounded enough to know that being on the extended squad at the beginning of the year is no guarantee of what might transpire later.

“Yeah, we had a brief meeting kind of setting the goals for the year,” he says.

“It was quick enough. It's exciting now for the rest of the year but at the same time, I haven't made it fully so I have to try and get on the panel first. That's the main goal.”

Walsh was speaking at the announcement of Fulfil as the new title sponsors of the All-Ireland U20HC. It’s a grade in which he will participate for the third straight year, having been called up by O’Connor in 2024, straight out of minor.

The eye-opener that that was in terms of moving up a level is something that should stand him in good stead.

“Yeah, it was very exciting alright, being called up to that age,” he says.

“The team they had as well at the time, they'd just won an All-Ireland and a Munster, so you were excited to go up, but you were nervous, definitely, because the standard was going to be so high. It was definitely enjoyable.

“You can obviously tell the difference physicality-wise, but the speed alright, would be the one that would mainly catch you - how quick they move the ball and stuff.

“You can nearly get used to the hits alright, but you kind of have to be up to scratch with the pace of the game.”

That season, Cork came close to retaining their Munster title, losing to Tipperary in the provincial final by a point after being denied a goal in controversial fashion.

Walsh was a real find, though, and his exposure to O’Connor as a manager leaves him optimistic for what lies ahead.

“Only good things, really,” he says.

“I thought Ben was very good. It was my first year with the U20s so it was kind of a new team for me as well.

“He's very open with all the lads and he's good to chat with. He's very good.”

The winner in that Munster final was scored by Tipp’s Darragh McCarthy, who has of course since gone on to senior glory. Seeing that path provides inspiration for Walsh.

“Absolutely,” he says, “it's good that other people have done it. I suppose it gives you a sense that you don't have to worry about being too young for this.

“You just have to be ready when you get the call-up. I'm excited that I did so I'll try and give it my best now.”

Certainly, if the MTU Cork first-year recreation and leisure student learns and develops as quickly as he did as a free-taker, he should be fine. Now regarded as a dead-ball expert, it wasn’t until he played for Kieran Murphy with the Cork minors in 2023 that he was given such a duty.

“I actually haven't [always been a free-taker],” he says, “I only got called to do it the week of championship of minor.

“I never used to take him with Killeagh or anything. I had an injury - I had a broken ankle and I kind of played on it for a year, so it kind of set me back a lot.

“I was in a boot for about four months and when I came out of it, I couldn't really run fully yet, so I used to just kind of stand there and take frees. It was the only bit of hitting I could really do.

“The manager has just kind of seen me do it.”