The Echo Sport Podcast

The Echo Sport Podcast crew is back to discuss another bumper weekend of Cork GAA action.Starting on the front foot, the hurlers got the job done away to Waterford, in a tough and tight battle down east.It makes it three wins on the bounce for the hurlers and given they were without defensive pillars Rob Downey and Ciarán Joyce, the victory in Walsh Park was hugely satisfying, even if it took all their grit and experience to prevail.The black cards had a huge bearing on the game and there's no doubt the Déise had every right to feel aggrieved. The first against Mark Fitzgerald on Brian Hayes was a marginal call though probably worked out well for them, given Alan Connolly's goal was ruled out for a penalty that he then missed. Plus Waterford scored Cork in the next 10 minutes.The decision against Jack Fagan also looked harsh, given there was a covering defender and the penalty, buried by Mark Coleman, opened up the four-point gap that stood at the final whistle.Cork though, could only worry about themselves and had they failed to win would have been left to rue the wide count of 12 to just three, and none in the second half, for Waterford.Cork have one foot in the Munster final before the last group game with Clare but we outline the scenario where the Rebels finish third on scoring difference, however unlikely that looks.Unfortunately, the Munster football final went the way of so many disappointing days in Fitzgerald Stadium since the last success, way back in 1995.It's now 14 years and counting since Cork collected the provincial title and they simply didn't make enough to the strong wind in the first half in Killarney to upset the odds this time.Goal-scorer Brian O'Driscoll was superb but none of the other Rebels were in the Man of the Match conversation. To have any hope, they needed the core of the team to catch fire.Up front Mark Cronin and Chris Óg Jones combined for 0-6 but there wasn't enough creativity in a front six missing Dara Sheedy and Brian Hurley. At the other end, not alone did David Clifford slam over 1-6, Tony Brosnan popped off the bench to shoot five points.The challenge now is to park it up and reset for Meath on Saturday week.Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.

It's a bumper weekend ahead for Cork GAA and The Echo Sport Podcast crew discuss the key games against Waterford and Kerry.Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, John Horgan and more, to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.First up on Saturday evening, the hurlers travel to Walsh Park, where they were beaten two years ago, looking to seal their spot in the All-Ireland series with a game to spare. The loss of Ciarán Joyce and Rob Downey to injury destablises the defence and poses a few selection headaches for Ben O'Connor and his selectors. Do they rejig the team, bringing Tim O'Mahony to the half-back line and Darragh Fitzgibbon to midfield, given they have stronger forward options in reserve? Or do they look to the experience of Damien Cahalane and Ger Millerick to fill in?There's also Daire O'Leary and Micheál Mullins in reserve, who featured in the league, or Cormac O'Brien who started last year's league and Munster finals.Having beaten Tipp and Limerick, the Rebels are moving well but their hosts this weekend will also fancy their chances and must win to save their season.On Sunday, the footballers travel over the county bounds looking for a first victory on enemy territory in 31 years and to land an overdue Munster title, bridging a gap to 2012.John Cleary must plan without veteran forward Brian Hurley but the vibes are good coming out of the camp before the clash.Kerry have a pile of injuries of their own but they still possess two of the deadliest forwards in the game in David and Paudie Clifford. Getting the match-ups right here will be crucial to Cork's prospects.The Echo panel also discuss the latest underage action, including fine performances by the minors in both codes and a cracking Munster U20 final which saw Cork come up just short. For the U20 hurlers, Barry Walsh was electric in beating Clare but now they must face them again in the provincial semi-final and he could be tied up with the seniors... Which game is more important and if he's out how will the U20s adapt?

The Cork hurlers two from two to start the round robin series for the first time since its inception in 2018 and the footballers into a first Munster final in five years... a good weekend's work.The Echo Sport Podcast crew break down the action from Thurles and SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and access the state of play with time to take a breath before the action resumes after the May Bank Holiday. Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.On the hurling front, Cork emptied the tank to pull off a victory against Limerick, who, despite losing Aaron Gillane to a training-ground injury and Cian Lynch to a second-half red card, came very close to winning on Leeside. For the hosts, it's now 11 games in league and championship without defeat since two years ago when going under to Clare left them on the brink.It's been an incredible run, as Man of the Match and captain Darragh Fitzgibbon told RTE: "It’s just unbelievable here, these are the best days of our lives.”Now look we all know it's an All-Ireland we crave but that shouldn't take from the effort this group of players are putting in to try and end the famine. They had a ropey start on Sunday and didn't manage the last quarter as effectively as we'd have liked with an extra man but Limerick haven't hoovered up 15 major trophies in nine years for nothing.They remain a phenomenal outfit but Cork are in an extremely strong position to make it into the All-Ireland series with plenty to work on as well. Injuries to Ciarán Joyce and Rob Downey are a concern, the puck-outs remain a work in progress and some of the younger guns are still learning. But there are no shortage of positives either, with the goal threat to the fore once more and huge leadership being shown by the more experienced hurlers. On the football front, Cork got going after a sluggish opening half at sun-sorched Semple Stadium before powering to a 15-point victory over Tipp. Being able to call on Ruairí Deane, Colm O'Callaghan and Brian Hurley from the bench highlighted the gulf in class between the sides but Cork are as well set as they've been in a while to rattle Kerry in Killarney.Getting a first win in Fitzgerald Stadium in 31 years will be another sceál of course but there's big interest in the game and John Cleary's charges deserve massive support. Look what difference it makes to the hurlers...

The wait is over, hurling championship returns this Sunday with an All-Ireland final rematch in Thurles.The Rebel pain from the defeat in Croke Park won't go away with a victory over Tipp on their turf but it would give them with a great chance of progressing from Munster again. While lifting Liam MacCarthy is the aim, all that matters over the coming weeks is that Cork do enough to escape the provincial bearpit.Ben O'Connor had a strong start to his tenure during the league but two recent defeats to Limerick, including the final on Easter Sunday, have left the supporters worrying the hurlers are vulnerable. Injuries to Diarmuid Healy and Seán O'Donoghue are a concern but in Barry Walsh, who is withheld from the U20s this week ahead of his debut, and William Buckley, they've unearthed two lively and direct forwards.There are plenty of talking points going into the clash at Semple Stadium that the Echo Podcast crew discuss, starting with Walsh prioritising the senior clash when Tipp tyro Darragh McCarthy balanced both grades in 2025. There were puck-out issues in the Gaelic Grounds but were Cork holding back options for the championship? Will the half-back line man-mark Tipp's dangerman, particularly Jake Morris, and risk getting pulled out of position like they were by Limerick?What tricks does Liam Cahill have up his sleeve? Will Tipp try a sweeper again?There's also a look at the minors' opening round win over Waterford.On the football front, Cork strangely performed far better against the wind in their win over Limerick than with the gale at their backs. Up 15 points at the break, they were outscored by six in the second half by a Treaty side relegated from Division 3.It was a very disappointing second half in the Páirc so they've plenty to work on before tackling Tipp. Kick-outs were the major talking point as Cork replaced Patrick Doyle with Micheál Aodh Martin in goal and still struggled on restarts, losing 10 out of 25.There's also a look back at the U20 footballers' draw in Clare as they've Kerry next up.The ladies footballers had a great comeback against Galway, lifting the Division 1 league for the first time in seven seasons.Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.

How concerning was that league final loss to Limerick on Sunday?Well, and it would have been the same if Cork had completed an unlikely comeback from 10 points down in TUS Gaelic Grounds last weekend, it will all be framed by the Munster championship and especially the opening two games, up in Semple Stadium and against the Treaty in the Páirc.If Ben O'Connor's side are on the back foot after that pair of matches in the space of eight days, everything they've done this year so far will be questioned.A couple of good performances and relinquishing the league crown to the Treaty will be viewed as a learning curve. However, for the moment, there are some real issues after the action on Shannonside. Cork only managed 0-3 from play from their half-forward line, a key sector in their previous defeats of Limerick. Three-time midfield All-Star Darragh Fitzgibbon's redeployment to number 12 didn't reap a reward here, even if Tommy O'Connell and Tim O'Mahony held their own.Cork's half-back line opted to man-mark but there was no protection in front of Aaron Gillane, who did wreck. That tactic only works if Cork snare sufficient dirty ball and move the sliotar quickly out of the crowded middle third.  Ciarán Joyce fared well in his new full-back berth but Cork missed his pace and surges from the wing. Like the Fitzgibbon switch, does his placement benefit the team?William Buckley repaid the selectors' faith in him with 0-3 while Brian Hayes was a menace but Alan Connolly was peripheral. With Diarmuid Healy injured, they might need to star U20 Barry Walsh against Tipp for his energy. The Echo Podcast crew also discuss the U20 hurlers' victory over Limerick and preview the minors' opener in Waterford. There's also a look at the weekend league action, where a number of the Rebels who didn't feature in the squad for the league final showed their quality, particularly Ben Cunningham and Shane Kingston.In football terms, there's a preview of another Cork-Limerick clash, with John Cleary's side raging favourites in their Munster quarter-final and a look at the U20s, who are deep in the heart of Clare on Thursday night.Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.

It was a disappointing few days of missed opportunities between Ireland's penalty shootout loss in the World Cup playoff and the Cork footballers' narrow defeat in Croke Park.You could make the case that Meath deserved their Division 2 success but John Cleary's side, like Ireland, were in a strong position to end their 16-year wait for national silverware. The Rebels haven't won at Croker since 2015 and when Chris Óg Jones hit the net early in the second half to build on a two-point half-time lead, they looked well set.However, Meath hit eight unanswered points in a nightmare period where Cork lost eight out of their nine kick-outs and failed to score for 16 minutes. Questions will be answered about the Rebels' set-up on restarts and Patrick Doyle's deliveries. Meath had clearly learned their lessons from the Páirc Uí Rinn meeting.There were positives though. Jones, notwithstanding a couple of missed goal chances in the first half, impressed as he bagged 1-3 while Steven Sherlock was sublime, nailing 0-9. Daniel O'Mahony was a powerhouse again.The refereeing performance of Kerry man Brendan Griffin certainly didn't endear him to Cork fans, as he failed to award any frees to Cork inside the scoring zone for fouls. Sherlock's only placed ball came from dissent following a sideline.The weakness of the new hooter rule was also exposed, with Meath able to foul with impunity in the last minute, though Cork were also guilty of failing to get a shot off coming down the stretch with they trailed by two points after a great Brian Hurley goal.On the football front, the Echo Podcast crew also look at the weekend action in the local leagues.The hurlers head to TUS Gaelic Grounds for a sell-out Division 1 league final on Easter Sunday. The holders arguably have a free shot given last year they ended a 27-year wait to lift that title but seeing as it's Limerick they're facing, no quarter will be given.If there's any pressure, it's on Limerick who won't want a repeat of last year's Munster final loss on their own turf. John Kiely's side will be pumped to the last and look to test Cork's young hurlers like Barry Walsh and William Buckley as well as Ciarán Joyce's capability as a full-back.We all know, of course, verything hinges on championship and Cork have a very difficult eight-day start where they face Tipp and Limerick.The U20s got their campaign up and running away to Tipp and put up a fine display as underdogs though a red card ultimately cost them.Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.

The pressure was on Cork to secure promotion to Division 1 for the first time since 2016 and they rose to the challenge in Omagh.A great start meant they were up by a point having played into the strong breeze and, after a nervy spell midway through the second half they kicked on, helped by the introduction of Brian Hurley.Hurley, Ruairí Deane, Ian Maguire and Brian O'Driscoll were in action when the Rebels last competed at the top grade and have stayed the course. Going up is a massive boost before the Munster championship and a great achievement by John Cleary and his management team, who were heavily questioned in recent seasons.Can they now beat Meath in Croke Park to add a bit of silverware? Hopefully but it doesn't matter, because the hard work has been done in coming out of a very competitive division and gives Cork football a platform next season and beyond.The Cork ladies football are also into a league final. With a game to spare to boot.On the hurling front, we wondered if Cork would experiment at the weekend given Offaly were already relegated. Instead, they picked a championship-level line-up and smashed the visitors for six goals. Barry Walsh, despite the U20 game coming up away to Tipp this week, was given a half and raised a green flag while the return of Padraig Power from injury to rifle two points was a boost. Ciarán Joyce was redeployed at full-back as we predicted but hardly tested. Eoin Downey continues to look the part at wing-back though and Mark Coleman was full of energy on the other flank.There wasn't a lot learned from a facile victory but the crowd of nearly 20,000 is a testament to the incredible backing the hurlers have. They'll pack out TUS Gaelic Grounds for the league final in what will be a belter with a Limerick side who looked terrific at times against Galway but also could have been caught late on.There's also a round-up of the latest league action with Charleville grabbing their second victory in a row as they look to build on an impressive championship in 2025.Now in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.

The Cork footballers' destiny is in their own hands after their nine-point victory over Kildare combined with Louth's defeat of Derry.Division 1 is beckoning for the Rebels who are guaranteed to go up if they get a draw or a win away to Tyrone. They could actually go up even if they lose if Cavan, who are battling relegation, upset the odds against Derry, combined with a Meath win over Offaly, as Cork have the head-to-head against Louth.The Echo Podcast crew go through the permutations heading into the last round of Division 2 fixtures, as well as breaking down the performance in Páirc Uí Rinn where the groundwork was laid in a blistering first half. John Cleary's side nailed eight two-pointers with the wind but ended up surviving a nervy fourth quarter.A black card for Patrick Doyle and a penalty heaped the pressure but Micheál Aodh Martin appeared from the bench to not only save the spotter but also pull off a series of super stops. Up front, Chris Óg Jone and Steven Sherlock landed 1-19 between them but it was a strong collective effort. The return of Mark Cronin, Tommy Walsh, Ian Maguire, Seán Brady and Brian O'Driscoll made a difference from the Derry hammering, while Luke Fahy and Colm O'Callaghan continue to deliver stand-out displays.The only concern is how Cork have faded in a few of their outings but it's a huge positive that they've put themselves in a position to make a first top-flight return for the first time in a decade. There's a feelgood factor about Leeside football for the first time in a while.The hurlers are back from their warm-weather training camp for what should be a guaranteed win over Offaly in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday night which would put them into a league final. The winner of Limerick and Galway would join them in what would be a cracking league decider on Easter Sunday.It'll be interesting to see how experimental Ben O'Connor and his selectors go with their line-up.On the local front, we look at the club football action where a number of Cork squad players, including Brian Hurley, togged out for the second round of fixtures. David Buckley showed his potential with a clinical showing for NewcestownNow in its fourth season, every week Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, Jack McKay, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.