Mark Cronin: 'Who cares if you win the county if you don't back it up'

If the result on Sunday had gone the other way, Nemo Rangers would have been staring at the dreaded outcome of four county final defeats in a row.

That fear never looked like materialising, but Mark Cronin has a different way of framing the run anyway. Rather than seeing the disappointment of three county final defeats in a row, he sees five straight final appearances, and the level of quality needed to achieve it.

“That's five finals in-a-row,” said Cronin. “That's the strength of the group, really. The strength of the group isn't winning today.

“The strength of the group is coming back in January knowing that last October was tough and that we are going again and we are going as far as we possibly can.” 

To come back after reaching the decider, to go again, to fall short again would take a lot of most teams. And yet for Nemo that drive resets itself each season, regardless of the previous year’s outcome.

“I wouldn't say it is difficult coming back. I think we think look forward to it,” Cronin explained. “New blood coming in every year gives us that bit of a jump. I think, naturally, the championship takes on a life of its own when you get to July.

“Every team slogs through the first six months of the year because fellas are coming and going, which they are entitled to. Then you get to July and flip the switch.” And for the previous three slogs that all ended in disappointment at the final stage, this one is made that little bit sweeter.

“It probably is,” he admitted. “It probably makes you value it a small bit more. I hadn't a lost a final until 2023. I probably didn't know what it was like.

“Losing a final is that bit different and it made me value 2022 a small bit more. And now three years of hurt built up is what you see out on the pitch there.

“It almost felt like a famine for us. You probably question yourself after a loss and what it's all for. It is days like this is what it is all for.

“If you can't enjoy these couple of days... I think the last couple of Sundays and Mondays were a bit grim, you are probably forcing yourself to enjoy it. We'll enjoy it, of course.” 

Enjoy it, but not for long. Nemo’s attention has already turned to a Munster club quarter-final against Tipperary champions Loughmore-Castleiney, and Cronin has history on his mind.

“If you think back to 2022, we probably left ourselves down in the next game in Munster [defeat to Clonmel] so [we’ll] enjoy this until tomorrow night, Tuesday morning, and then it is boots back on and ready to go for the weekend after the next. It is exciting times.

“A Munster Club isn't to be taken for granted. I remember in 2019, I thought every year is going to be like this when we got to the All-Ireland semi-final,” Cronin said. “Didn't get back there again.

“2022, in my head, is a bit tainted because in my head we didn't probably back it up two weeks' later.

“At the end of the day, who cares if you win the county if you don't back it up in two weeks' time.”