JBM: John Cleary has done an outstanding job and should continue

Cork legend Jimmy Barry-Murphy believes football in the county is moving firmly in the right direction across all grades, despite the disappointment of Saturday’s All-Ireland senior quarter-final defeat to Mayo.

Reflecting on the wider picture, he pointed to progress at senior level, a strong minor campaign, and an U20 side that was “very unlucky” in their Munster final against Kerry — all of which, he feels, underline a growing positivity in the county.

Looking at the seniors’ season overall, Barry-Murphy was clear in his praise for manager John Cleary, who has been in charge since 2022.

“I have to reflect on John’s contribution first — it has been fantastic,” the St Finbarr’s clubman says to The Echo.

“He has done a great job. He’s improved the team immeasurably. He’s got a great backroom team. He hasn’t been afraid to delegate, and I think they’ve made great progress under his tenure.

“Getting into Division 1 for 2027 is huge for Cork, and I think that will improve the team no end. The players will rise themselves playing against the best teams on a regular basis next year.

“Cork had a successful season despite the loss to Mayo. John Cleary has done an outstanding job and deserves great credit. I didn’t see us making that progress this year, so we’re all absolutely thrilled with that.” 

IMPRESSIVE

Despite some grumblings of discontent on Leeside since the defeat, Barry-Murphy is looking at the bigger picture.

“Cork won 10 games out of 14 across league and championship — that’s quite impressive,” he said. 

“I keep coming back to John Cleary. He’s done an outstanding job and great gratitude from everyone. I am very proud of the team.” 

The question of Cleary’s future has been a talking point among some supporters in recent days, even though he still has another year left on his current term. Given the commitment he has given to Cork football over a long period of time, Barry-Murphy is unequivocal.

“I couldn’t have more admiration for him,” he states. 

“I know myself, being in there, how difficult it is, and it does take time. But there was massive progress made this year. John knows himself that he’ll need to get a better return from our possession statistics overall. 

“But I’m desperate to see him stay on and his backroom team, because I think, as I said, John is putting great people around him. They all seem to be working fantastically together, and he’s not afraid to delegate, which is a great sign of a manager.” 

Barry-Murphy also stressed the importance of the underage structures, noting that the U20s and minors have contributed significantly to the sense of momentum.

“We were very unlucky in the U20 Munster final,” he said. 

It was a great year, and we’re in the minor All-Ireland final next Sunday against Tyrone. It has been a very positive year for football in general.

“I thought the Cork U20s under Ray Keane were outstanding — truly very unlucky to lose to Kerry in the Munster final. Kerry then went on to be All-Ireland winners. There is huge positivity around Cork football at the moment.” 

The minors’ run to the All-Ireland final has caught a lot of people’s attention this year as Cork bid to win the title for the first time since 2019.

“The minors being in the All-Ireland final next Sunday against Tyrone is a great story. It has been incredible from them this year. Everyone I’ve spoken to has been talking about Cork football, and that’s obviously a good thing going forward.” 

Barry-Murphy also touched on the club scene, which he feels is highly competitive. He is currently a selector with the St Finbarr’s footballers.

“Club championships are very, very competitive in Cork across the grades. 

We’ve got good players, obviously. It's helping Cork. 

"It’s tough — it’s a very, very tough environment, and you’ve got to be at it every single day.”