Cork Hurling: Why aren't there more U20 All-Ireland winners featuring in defence?

It's not a major surprise that Damien Cahalane won't be part of the Cork hurlers' plans next season. 

Now 34, he did an excellent job filling in across the last two seasons, particularly in the 2025 Munster final when he nailed a long-range point. However, after losing three All-Irelands this decade and making a disappointingly tame exit against Galway in this summer's semi-final, Ben O'Connor and his management were bound to make a few changes to the panel.

Seamus Harnedy and Declan Dalton departed last month and now Cahalane, a four-time Munster winner and vastly underrated defender, follows suit. 

What's alarming is how little Cork's defence has evolved in recent years. It's both indicative of a shortage of backs coming through from the underage and how risky it is to trust rookies against elite inter-county forwards.

Cork's starting back six in the All-Ireland final loss five years ago was Niall O’Leary, Robert Downey, Seán O’Donoghue, Eoin Cadogan, Mark Coleman and Tim O’Mahony. Cahalane, Seán O'Leary Hayes and Niall Cashman were introduced that grim afternoon in defence. 

There's been a significant turnover from the '21 squad, with Eoin and Alan Cadogan, Luke Meade, Damien and Conor Cahalane, Jack O'Connor, Patrick Horgan, Harnedy, O'Leary Hayes, Cashman and Dalton now gone from the 21 players who saw action in Croker.

Limerick's core is basically the same, with Declan Hannon and Seamus Flanagan the only starters that day now gone from the panel. Stability was crucial to getting back on top this season, albeit aided by younger guns Adam English, Shane O'Brien, Cathal O'Neill and Aidan O'Connor moving onto a new level. In defence, they shifted Will O'Donoghue back from midfield but haven't introduced any new faces.

When we look at the starting rearguards from Cork's three U20 All-Ireland victories in the modern era, we see how few have been able to make an impact.

2020 v Dublin: 

Conor O'Callaghan, Eoin Roche, Aaron Walsh Barry;

 Daire Connery, Ciarán Joyce, Daire O'Leary.

2021 v Galway: 

Eoin Downey, Ethan Twomey, Cormac O'Brien; 

Kevin Moynihan, Ciarán Joyce, Brian O'Sullivan.

2023 v Offaly: 

Daire O'Sullivan, Shane Kingston (Ballinora), Mark Howell; 

James Dwyer, Ben O'Connor, Eoin Downey.

Only Ciarán Joyce and Eoin Downey have managed to nail down spots in the Cork defence. Both have won All-Stars and will be key pillars again in 2027. Cormac O'Brien has featured in the past two championships but largely off the bench.

Daire Connery started against Waterford in 2020 but injuries derailed his progress, while the hugely promising Daire O'Leary has also struggled to stay fit. 

Ethan Twomey deputised at full-back with O'Leary out in the 2021 All-Ireland final but his senior starts have come in his more natural berth at midfield. 

Of course, St Finbarr's Ben O'Connor would have become a mainstay if he hadn't opted for a professional rugby career.

Incidentally, none of the three All-Ireland winning keepers, Eoin Davis, Cathal Wilson and Brion Saunderson, have made a breakthrough with Fr O'Neill's Paudie O'Sullivan jumping ahead of them as Patrick Collins' deputy.

There has been a stronger supply of forwards from those gifted U20 teams. Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly, Seán Twomey, Brian Roche, William Buckley and Diarmuid Healy have all started senior championship, with Pádraig Power featuring off the bench. Tommy O'Connell was midfield in the 2020 side and has started in that role and wing-back at senior for Cork.

Cork could do with an underage bolter to come into the defensive mix but obvious contenders are in short supply.