'We felt we let the club down' - Liam Coughlan on Glen Rovers' journey back

For Liam Coughlan, Sunday's Co-Op SuperStores Premier SHC final is the latest chapter in a journey that has taken him from the highs of Glen Rovers' back-to-back county titles to the low point of relegation and now back to the biggest day in the Cork club hurling calendar.

The Glen defender has been part of the senior panel since 2015 and admits the club's fall from the top flight in 2023 remains a powerful motivating force as they prepare to face city rivals St Finbarr's at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday (4pm). 

"When I first came on the panel it was 2015 and that was a good time," Coughlan said.

"We had two great years and went back-to-back. When you come into it and it's like that, you probably take it for granted a small bit. Since then we've had a lot of ups and downs.

"The downs being three years ago when we got relegated, but to be back here now where we are, in a county final on Sunday, you can't have too many complaints."

Relegation was a bitter blow for a club synonymous with Cork hurling success, but Coughlan believes the experience ultimately helped drive the group forward.

"It was a very dark day. As a group we felt we let ourselves down and we let the club down. All we wanted to do was put that right.

"I felt we went about it the right way. The following year we just went about our business and got straight back up. We knew ourselves there was a lot more in us. We felt we shouldn't have gone down, but that's the quality in the group."

Looking back now, Coughlan feels the setback may have provided the wake-up call the club needed after coming close on a number of occasions.

"Maybe it gave us the kick we needed. We lost three finals in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and probably went into our comfort zone a little bit.

"Getting relegated really gave us a kick to get back going. Last year, in our first year back up, we got to a quarter-final, which was good going, but to go two steps further this year shows the progress we've made."

That improvement was underlined in the semi-final victory over Midleton, a team that ended Glen's championship campaign a year ago.

"To lose to Midleton last year, there's no shame in that because they're a great side. But to beat them in the semi-final this year probably shows the progress we've made over the last year.

"The likes of Lee Quilligan, Conor McCarthy and Rhys Dunne, all these fellas are stepping up. They're bringing us to an extra level, which is great. Hopefully they can drive us on again on Sunday."

For those who wear the Glen jersey, reaching a county final carries a significance that extends well beyond the dressing room.

"It's everything up around Blackpool. It's hurling," he says.

"There's probably a lot of pressure that comes with playing for the club because of the history and the great players who have gone through. But it's a privilege to play for the Glen, especially in county finals."

The meeting of Glen Rovers and St Finbarr's has added another layer of intrigue to Sunday's decider. Remarkably, it will be the clubs' first county final meeting since 1988.

"It's kind of mad to think about because that was before our time," Coughlan laughs. 

"You'd probably presume they would have played each other a few more times in county finals. There'll be a few eyes on it and it'll draw a lot of attention. It's good for Cork hurling.

"It's just another game in our own minds. We have a job to do on Sunday and hopefully we can do that."

Personally, Coughlan is enjoying his hurling as much as ever following a positional switch that has rejuvenated his game.

Having spent much of his underage career in the forwards, he moved into defence in recent years and has quickly made the role his own.

"I'm loving it at the moment. I made the switch back to the backs a couple of years ago. 

"I was kind of a forward underage, but when I went back to the backs I started loving it. I think I've found my spot back there now."