Cork support key as Rebels bid to topple Kerry in Killarney

The Cork footballers will run out in Fitzgerald Stadium knowing they are not just chasing a Munster title, but leaning on a travelling support that has grown and grown this year. 

As the Rebels prepare to face Kerry in Killarney on Sunday at 1.45pm, the backing from the stands feels as important as anything that will happen on the pitch.

Cork haven’t won a championship match in Killarney since 1995, a record that has followed every team that has gone down there since. The Munster title has been out of reach since 2012. 

Cork people have always travelled well, but Killarney has a pull of its own. It’s a town Cork families have been visiting for years, and on Munster final day, it's like their second home.

For John Cleary’s team, that support matters. Fitzgerald Stadium can be a tough place for any visiting side, but Cork players often talk about the lift they get when they hear the Cork support.

This Cork group are moving in the right direction. But they know better than anyone that history won’t change without a serious push. To end a 31-year wait for a championship win in Killarney and to bring home a first Munster title in 14 years, they will need every bit of energy coming from the terraces.

Sunday is a chance for supporters to play their part as much as the players. Cork fans have often travelled in hope; this time they travel with a sense that the team is building something. 

The squad is ambitious and not afraid of the challenge. What they need now is the backing that only their own crowd can give.

If Cork are to finally crack Killarney again, it won’t be down to one moment or one player, it will be a collective effort.

There is a growing connection between this team and the public again, a sense that the work being done is real. If Cork are to make a statement on Sunday, they will need their people with them.