Hurling final talking points: Glen and Barrs players keen to impress Cork selectors

Record books favour the Glen:

At elite level, the traditional rivals have collided 38 times. Glen were victorious on 21 occasions, against the Barrs’ 13. There have been four draws, which wouldn’t be the worst bet for anyone punting on Sunday’s final.

The Blues collected the cup in the last county final between them in 1988 but the northsiders dominated the most recent championship meeting, in the Páirc in 2020. Remarkably, there was a gap of 14 years when they didn’t joust at all, from 1996 to 2010, but the Glen won both those games, after replays.

In the 1980s, St Finbarr’s had a superb county final record, annexing the Seán Óg Murphy Cup five times, beating Glen in three of those.

Since that 1988 Barrs-Glen county final joust, the Glen have won the big prize three times, 1989, 2015 and ’16, and the Barrs twice: 1993 and 2022.

The Blackpool outfit have contested far more finals though, runners-up in 1991, 2010, '14, '19, '20 and '21. St Finbarr’s only losing final appearance was 1990 when Na Piarsaigh won their first.

Match-winners:

While the Glen and the Barrs don’t dominate modern club hurling like they once did, they certainly contribute heavily to Cork squads.

Glen marquee men Eoin and Rob Downey, Patrick Horgan, Micheál Mullins and Dean Brosnan have all worn the red geansaí in senior championship, as have Barrs’ leaders Damien and Conor Cahalane, Ethan Twomey, Brian Hayes and William Buckley, while Jack Cahalane and Ben Cunningham have been in Cork squads. Billy Hennessy, a Cork panellist earlier this decade, is abroad so misses out.

Such a proliferation of elite players at the business end of championship is rare, with only a handful of county hurlers featuring in the recent Clare and Tipperary finals.

Certainly, there’s no shortage of potential MVPs. Brian Hayes is due to find his goal touch and a Patrick Horgan masterclass would tie in with his book launch. 

Both goalkeepers, Shane Hurley and Cathal Hickey, made crucial saves in the semis.

William Buckley has 0-22 from play across five starts but only clipped two against Kanturk. A highly impactful sub in 2022 when just 18, you’d expect him to be highly motivated on Sunday.

Shop window:

In an interview in the build-up, Jack Cahalane spoke of his ambitions for 2026.

“From January on, it was always aiming for August to try and perform at my best in hurling and football to put myself in the best position to win things, and when you win things, you're in the shop window."

The Castlehaven footballer and St Finbarr's hurler has endured a tough year. Dropped by the Cork hurling management, his prospects of turning that motivation into trophies was hindered by three hamstring injuries, though he made it off the bench in recent weeks.

That'll be his deployment again on Sunday but it won't take from his eagerness to deliver. At 24, time is on his side for another Cork call-up.

For his Barrs comrades Ben Cunningham and Ethan Twomey, it'll be about proving their calibre before Ben O'Connor and his selectors tweak their panel for next year. 

Declan Dalton was recently let go and Seamus Harnedy has retired but we fully expect further alterations and neither Twomey nor Cunningham got championship minutes in the summer.

Micheál Mullins will be similarly driven for the Glen while Eoin O'Leary, a minor and U20 All-Ireland winner, has the potential to earn an audition. Barrs defender Ciarán Doolin has a similar profile. James Murray, at 19, is well worth a spot in the Cork U20 squad for 2027.