The team Cork has set for this Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling championship finale against Clare remains unaltered. There’s only one reported modification, where Tim O’Mahony and Ciarán Joyce switch to jersey numbers eight and five respectively, a move already seen during the semi-final with Limerick. The reserve team will also see no changes, hence the same crew of 26 that upset Limerick’s quintuple victory aspiration will face Clare in a replay of the 2013 final.
Panel members Séamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan, and substitute Conor Lehane—were all starters in the final and the replay over a decade ago.
Cork’s last appearance in an All-Ireland final was three years prior, a sobering defeat to Limerick by 16 points, which secured back-to-back victories for the first time in the county’s history.
Changes have been noted in the starting lineup from that day, with Eoin Downey, Ciarán Joyce, Declan Dalton, Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly, and Brian Hayes stepping in. Five of this weekend’s reserves, namely Luke Meade, Lehane, Jack O’Connor, Shane Kingston and Robbie O’Flynn, launched the 2021 match.
The county is on the hunt to secure its first All-Ireland since 2005, a colossal 19-year gap that they’re aspiring to close.
The Cork team features key players such as Patrick Collins from Ballinhassig, Niall O’Leary from Castlelyons, Eoin Downey from Glen Rovers, and captain Seán O’Donoghue of Inniscarra. Ciarán Joyce from Castlemartyr, Robert Downey of Glen Rovers, and Mark Coleman of Blarney form the rest of the team. Tim O’Mahony hails from Newtownshandrum, Darragh Fitzgibbon represents Charleville, whereas Declan Dalton from Fr O’Neill’s. Shane Barrett from Blarney, Séamus Harnedy of St Ita’s, Patrick Horgan representing Glen Rovers, Alan Connolly from Blackrock, and Brian Hayes of St Finbarr’s complete the lineup.
Reserves for the team comprise of Brion Saunderson from Midleton, Damien Cahalane from St Finbarr’s, Ger Millerick from Fr O’Neill’s, and Tommy O’Connell from Midleton. Other substitutes include Luke Meade from Newcestown, Ethan Twomey of St Finbarr’s, Conor Lehane from Midleton, Jack O’Connor of Sarsfields, along with Shane Kingston from Douglas, Pádraig Power from Blarney, and Robbie O’Flynn of Erin’s Own.