The Echo Sport Podcast: Cork hurlers in tip-top form but Limerick will land with revenge in mind

Cork hurlers were fully deserving winners in their Munster opener in Thurles. 

The Echo Podcast crew break down the big game and look ahead to round two against Limerick.

After a tight first half on Sunday, they dominated the second period, scored more from play and had better balance up front than a Tipp side who didn't fire at all in comparison to the electric All-Ireland final efforts. 

For Cork, it doesn't atone for losing in Croke on any level really, but it puts them on the front foot for 2026, which is all that matters right now.

Debutants Barry Walsh and William had 0-10 between them but the defensive solidity provided by the likes of Rob Downey, Niall O'Leary and Seán O'Donoghue, who have been heavily questioned in recent weeks, was just as important. Patrick Collins varied his puck-outs well and was another who is often doubted inside the county bounds.

STANDARD-BEARERS

Of course, as Ben O'Connor pointed out afterwards at the weekend, there's no benefit in getting too excited about a single victory when you could still fail to even make it out of the provincial bearpit: "Limerick are the best team in the country for the last 10 years and we know that we'll have to do our best to put it up to them next weekend.”

We preview the second showdown with the Treaty in the space of three weeks. Who marks Aaron Gillane, Gearóid Hegarty and Cathal O'Neill and will Cork get anything like the space they were afforded by the Tipp half-back line, who coughed up 0-12 from play? It only gets tougher from here.

There's also the latest on the Cork minor and U20 games and a round-up of the club hurling leagues, with Midleton and Erin's Own out in front in the top two divisions.

There's a review of the Cork U20s' terrific win over Kerry in the Páirc. It was no classic but a significant result given their underage struggles against the rivals and given Dara Sheedy went off injured in the first half.

The seniors have a Munster semi-final next Saturday, up in Thurles again in what will be a low-profile affair but where a strong performance will be expected to set up a trip to Kerry at the start of May.

Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.