WHEN CORK’S 2024 hurling campaign ended, it did so in thrilling fashion.
They packed a hefty punch against Limerick last May, but fell just short of knocking out their illustrious opponents. Their exit from the Munster round-robin series saw them fire a stunning total of 1-30. In defeat, Patrick Horgan and Seamus Harnedy could have given no more.
Horgan took the Limerick defence for 1-14, with 1-3 of that tally stemming from open play, while Harnedy picked off four points. In a frantic finale, they were joined on the pitch by second-half substitute Conor Lehane, the trio battling to prolong their side’s involvement.
A decade after they had all started the All-Ireland senior hurling final, they remained central to Cork’s cause. 2024 has brought a new hurling season, but no change in the input of the long-serving attackers.
After years of unstinting service, they all lined up in the Cork forward line before throw-in on Sunday in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Lehane and Horgan had both started in Cork’s earlier defeats against Clare and Kilkenny, Harnedy was restored to full fitness for this seasonal debut against Waterford, joining his experienced colleagues.
Horgan will celebrate his 36th birthday in May. Then in July, Harnedy will turn 34 and Lehane will turn 32. Cork have scooped up three of the last four All-Ireland U20 titles, yet there is little sign of the forwards who have carried such weight for so long, being swept aside by a wave of young talent.
The game ended with Horgan having registered seven points, six of those from frees. Harnedy knocked over a brace from open play. Lehane was held scoreless, but had struck six points in his previous two outings, and impacted in other ways – making the hard yards before assisting Tommy O’Connell for the game’s opening score and drawing two fouls with incisive bursts before the break, both yielding points from Horgan frees.
Harnedy grew in prominence in the third quarter, Cork’s best spell of the game, as he raised one white flag and threaded a pass for Jack O’Connor to shoot over another. Horgan got into a rhythm in that period as well, clipping over a score immediately after the break and laying off another straightforward chance for Brian Hayes to shoot between the posts.
“Brilliant, Séamus is a huge player for us going forward,” was Ryan’s reaction after to Harnedy’s return to a starting spot.
“He’s been very anxious to play over the last two weeks and it’s been a case of trying to manage him and keep him right.
“Séamus is a 100 percent guy – you can’t tell him to go out and take it handy or take it easy, he’s going at 100 miles an hour!
“In the last period, he probably tired a small bit and we had the opportunity to take him off but we’re delighted he came through it.”
Ryan’s enthusiasm for Harnedy’s involvement resembled similar appraisals he has given of Horgan and Lehane. They remain firmly in his plans, the manager appreciative of their endurance.
Will they all start in eight weeks time when the Munster championship throws in?
Cork’s search for their preferred starting selection goes in. Getting the right mix is an ongoing debate all over the pitch, the forward line options reflective of that. Ten players have started in a league game to date – Shane Kingston, Lehane, Seán Twomey, Robbie O’Flynn, Horgan, Brian Hayes, Shane Barrett, O’Connor, Luke Meade and Harnedy. They also welcomed Blackrock’s Alan Connolly back to the fray on Sunday as he was sprung from the bench.
Padraig Power remains a long-term absentee, while O’Flynn is another few weeks off after damaging his hamstring against Kilkenny. Other potential forward inclusions – Twomey, Declan Dalton, Ben Cunningham and Darragh Fitzgibbon – will all be in the frame for Cork’s next game, a trip to Offaly.
Any hands stuck up for inclusion on Sunday? Either side of Horgan on Sunday, stood Hayes and O’Connor, in the traditional corner-forward slots. Hayes operated closer to goal, O’Connor had the licence to roam free. Stationed in the inside slot saw Hayes rifle over three points, his two in the first half were replica efforts as he stepped in off the left wing, bounded clear and knocked over his shot. O’Connor struck 1-3, his goal the standout score of the day as he showcased his blistering pace to burn a path down the central channel of the Waterford rearguard.
For O’Connor the aim is to recapture the electric form of the summer of 2021, his terrific goal against Kilkenny the highlight. For Hayes there is the continued development after switching allegiances from the county footballers in late 2022.
“I think both of them showed glimpses of what they can do,” said Ryan afterwards.
“We all know the ability that they have and the bit of flair that they have, but it just needs to be consistent.
“I think both of them went out of the game at different periods but, in fairness, it was Jack’s first start of the year as well. Jack missed almost all of last year with his shins, he couldn’t get them right, so it’s great to have him back.
“You can see the bit of extra pace he can bring to it and the x-factor that he has.”
Ryan’s comments could have been easily applied to Cork’s overall display. They bagged 0-7 in the opening 22 minutes of play and 1-7 in the same time frame in the second half. The slumps endured before half-time and full-time, will be areas to pore over as they seek to sharpen up.
The game lacked spark for long stages on a bitingly cold February day and in Ryan’s eyes it will have little bearing when the teams renew acquaintances in April.
“Absolutely not. I don’t think the conditions will be the same and there’ll have been eight weeks’ training.
“Realistically, they’ll probably have eight or nine changes, we’ll probably have five or six.”
That reinforced the selection dilemmas Cork face. The sense that Cork were chasing the desired mix persisted in Ryan’s first year in charge. Arriving at a solution remains high on their agenda.
Whatever road Cork end up travelling this summer, their forward line looks set to feature their experienced trio pointing the way.
