Barry O’Mahony on a day of colour, hope and reality for Cork in Killarney

This was hoped to be my own experience of covering Cork to glory in the Munster SFC, but once more, it’s the hope that kills you. 

Once again, the noisy neighbours Kerry had just too much quality as they prevailed at a heaving Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Having covered the Rebels every step of the way since 2023, the trajectory has been upward. Everything seemed to be falling nicely for the Leesiders to make history in Killarney: to win a championship match there for the first time since 1995 and to lift a provincial title for the first time in 14 years.

Promotion from Division 2 was a massive step forward back in March, with top-tier league football to look forward to in 2027 for the first time since 2016. The Cork public could see something brewing in this team, and the crowd that turned up in Killarney was proof of that. 

The town was hopping from early morning — cafés spilling out onto the pavements, the smell of fresh coffee mixing with chip vans firing up for the day, Cork jerseys everywhere, sun on faces, and the easy chatter of supporters who felt something might be stirring.

Seeing such huge Rebel support sent shivers down the spine. It made all the difficult days worth it. 

Having driven down what was a nightmare of a trip from Derry just two months ago after a 20-point hammering, it had been some turnaround. The contrast wasn’t lost on anyone: from a grim, rain-lashed afternoon in Ulster to a bright, buzzing Killarney with hope in the air.

Cork fans were in confident mood and, given Kerry’s lengthy injury list and Cork’s form, this was seen as the Rebels’ best chance in a long time to take them down in their own backyard.

The team left Éire Óg on Sunday morning at 9.10am, relaxed and confident. Men on a mission. The convoy of cars behind them told its own story — flags out windows, kids in jerseys, the kind of small rituals that make championship days what they are.

But I was told when I took up this hugely privileged and important role from Mark Woods three years ago that there would be more dark days than good days following the Cork football team. In that time, it has proven to be the case. 

Just when you think the team are going to turn a corner, they encounter problems. It has been the story of Cork football since Conor Counihan stepped down in 2013.

In terms of the match, there’s no point dissecting it here as that has been done in previous articles. Cork lost 1-23 to 1-15. The second half tally of 1-2 was simply not good enough, even against the wind. 

They just didn’t have enough guile, composure or quality to know how to break down the Kerry defence. The noise from the home crowd grew with every Kerry score, and you could feel the belief draining from the Cork fans as the half wore on.

It only hit me two hours after the game, when I got into the car after finishing my pieces, what a disappointing day it was. The earlier colour of the day felt a long way off. 

After meeting Cork fans since, and having been messaged by many, the biggest thing everyone agrees on is that the team didn’t have a cut. Forget about the result — the performance wasn’t at the required level to beat Kerry.

For the huge following that travelled over the county bounds, they were let down. They tried to get behind the team as best they could. 

There were many a time as a young fella going to Killarney when you’d travel home disappointed after a loss. But at least the team died with their boots on, albeit those were different times when Cork were All-Ireland contenders.

This is a different team now, a different skill set, but even when they lost to Kerry in Killarney in the Munster semi-final in 2024, the team — while got tired as the game wore on — gave it a right go. They will be very disappointed with this, and so will the fans.

At least the journey home wasn’t long, with the Macroom bypass shortening the trip. 

The Cork footballers never do it the easy way. Meath on Saturday week in the first round of the All-Ireland series will test their mettle. 

The next stop is Páirc Uí Rinn, and a win is the only option. They wouldn’t have it any other way.