Tomás Mulcahy: 'This team is going somewhere' after Glen Rovers secure county final spot

Glen Rovers manager Tomás Mulcahy said Sunday’s Co‑Op SuperStores Premier SHC semi-final win over Midleton was the latest proof that his group has finally become “a team”, as the Blackpool club powered into their first county final against St Finbarr’s since 1988.

Glen’s 2-21 to 1-18 victory at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh was built on a ruthless second-half push, a strong defensive spine, and a blend of hardened experience with emerging youth.

For Mulcahy, it also carried a deeper emotional weight — a reminder of the journey from relegation heartbreak to a return to the biggest stage in Cork hurling.

“We conceded a goal and we’ve done that in the last couple of matches,” he said.

“But today we had a bit of a killer instinct about us. Even when they got the goal, we went back up the field again and replied, and we finished very, very strongly. The level of fitness has been fantastic.

At times hurling is just about digging in. When it wasn’t going well, you dig in deep, you turn over ball, you stop ball coming out. 

"To a man, they were all terrific.” 

Painful

The Glen boss repeatedly referenced the jersey and what it means to the group, recalling the pain of relegation in 2023 — a day he described as the worst of his sporting life.

“I never felt so hurt after any game than I did that day,” he says. 

“I made up my mind I’d stay around with the team and try to get up from relegation, and we did that.

“We were very confident coming down here. We continued to do what we did in our last couple of matches.” 

He referenced the criticism that followed their Blackrock game — playing 15 against 14 and failing to close it out — and how that performance backed them into a corner ahead of a tricky tie with Kanturk. 

But the response in Castletownroche convinced him the group had turned a corner.

“What I saw that day made me believe this team is going somewhere,” he states.

“This has now become a team — the older generation, the younger generation. I think we pushed on brilliantly in the second half today. Some great performances and some great scores.” 

He praised the defence, the midfield pairing, and the leadership of Patrick Horgan and Dean Brosnan. But one player earned a special mention — Micheál Mullins, who had been a doubt coming into the game. He scored two goals.

Mulcahy also paid tribute to his backroom team — and to coach Donal O’Rourke, former Cork hurling coach. 

“I can assure you now we’ll be getting some analysis from Donal tonight,” he laughed.

He’d watched the match five times already and is picking out faults and where we need to improve.” 

The county final brings a historic pairing: Glen Rovers vs St Finbarr’s — the first city final in four years and the first meeting of the two since 1988.

Mulcahy knows that occasion well. He captained the Glen that day, when the Barrs handed them a heavy defeat.

“That’s a memory I’d like to forget. But the tradition, the history — it’s going to be a great occasion.

“All the people in the Lough, Togher, Blackpool — hopefully they turn up in big numbers. That’s what the occasion needs.”