Cork hurling: Picking the new players ready to step up in championship
DIRECT: Barry Walsh of Cork is tackled by Ivan Bolger of Kilkenny at UPMC Nowlan Park. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Cork contested the last two All-Ireland finals and landed Munster and league titles.
However, the harsh reality is they need to shake up the team to ensure they get out of the province again this summer (the absolute priority) and are in the mix for the big prize. As Alan Connolly stated, they'd love to win it all given their high standards under Pat Ryan but new manager Ben O'Connor knows it's all about ending the agonising wait for Liam MacCarthy.
The league is important for momentum but it's also 'only the league'.
Cork experimented away to Limerick with one foot in next month's league final and learned a bit about their rookies last Saturday night while also being reminded of the power and poise of the dominant force in modern hurling. John Kiely has the same core that secured five All-Irelands with an influx of relatively new players like Shane O'Brien, Adam English, Aidan O'Connor and Cathal O'Neill.
Cork will hope Diarmuid Healy recovers from his quad injury for the first Munster championship outing in Thurles because, after a breakthrough 2025 when he hit 0-3 from play in the Munster and All-Ireland finals, he's the real deal.
They'll have to place their faith in a few rookies to add some new energy, though Tommy O'Connell offers that and more at midfield and will be promoted from the impact sub role he held last season.
It's clear now that there are three leading contenders among the young guns.
Eoin Downey won an All-Star at full-back in 2024 after immense displays against Limerick and Clare at Croke Park but struggled at times last season. The new management have released him to his more natural habitat in the half-back line and he's thrived.
O'Leary has taken over at number three and been very solid. He conceded an early goal to Shane O'Brien at the Gaelic Grounds but settled thereafter.
Like Downey, he's better further up the field where he's shone for Cork U20s, Watergrasshill and Imokilly but he's strong in the air and good at breaking up play.
The question is whether he has the pace and nous for what is a thankless task in championship. Otherwise, Cork could end up with the same back six, perhaps with Rob Downey or Ciarán Joyce at full-back, that conceded three goals in each of the last two All-Irelands. That just doesn't seem right.
Cormac O'Brien and Ger Millerick started games in defence last summer while Eoin Roche and Micheál Mullins started the last league game.
Not a natural successor to the retired Patrick Horgan. He loves drifting deep to find pockets of space and is an explosive runner.
He's a different threat to Brian Hayes and Connolly though. Going on his underage career and displays for the Barrs, the 21-year-old is reliable for three or four points a game.
He's started three league matches and clipped 1-8.
Pádraig Power, now recovered from the knee injury that ruled him out last season, is also a potential Horgan replacement if Cork opt for the three-man full-forward set-up that was devastating at times. Kanturk's Alan Walsh has put his hand up, literally, as a bench option if Cork are looking for another target man.
The wild card is Ben Cunningham. He's been dogged by injury but was the best U20 forward three years ago and was sharp, to the tune of 0-14, when the Barrs beat Blackrock in their league opener.
A standout minor and still U20 this year, the Killeagh club man, whose cousin Ben Walsh is also a major talent, is the bolter from the campaign.
The MTU student was a surprise inclusion in the extended panel and didn't feature in the opening rounds. However, he burst through for a cracking goal up in Nowlan Park and was fouled for a penalty before faring well against Kyle Hayes on Shannonside, curling over two points and forcing Nickie Quaid into a save.
Darragh Fitzgibbon is now in the half-forward line, where he previously hurled when Ben O'Connor was over Charleville and in 2025 until the Limerick loss last May, and Shane Barrett is a banker. So there's one spot up for grabs at 10 or 12.
If he recovers in time for the Tipp clash on April 19, Duds Healy will slot in.
Hugh O'Connor is the other U20 graduate and he secured a lot of primary possession in cameos earlier in the league and on his first start against Kilkenny. Having switched from the football squad, the Newmarket man's hurling is still raw but you can see why Ben O'Connor rates him.
Declan Dalton was utilised at full-forward until his injury and Robbie O'Flynn, Shane Kingston and Brian Roche are very unlikely to start. Seamus Harnedy could obviously start if fully fit but would be a very experienced impact sub.
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