Cork are through to their first Munster final since 2018 after bouncing back from the Limerick hammering by beating Waterford on Sunday.

It was a patchy performance overall where they impressed more in the first half against the wind than they did with the gale to their backs. Pat Ryan's side won by six points but had 10 more wides than the Déise, so there can no debate about the result, but it certainly wasn't a vintage display.

In the great scheme of things, it won't really matter, especially with Limerick coming down the tracks again. What can we take from the performance at a packed Páirc?

Ger Millerick's finger injury is a concern as he had superbly slotted in for Niall O'Leary. Diarmuid Healy showed well off the bench though, with Darragh Fitzgibbon and Shane Barrett more impressive when restored to their 2024 positions.

Cork will need everyone firing for the Treaty but had the luxury of changing half their line-up for the dead rubber group game with Clare.

On the football front, Cork were beaten in a vital All-Ireland group game in Navan. Meath were the better team throughout and only their poor finishing kept John Cleary's side in contention.

Do the Rebels now have any chance when they host Kerry on Saturday?

They might have left the win behind them in the Munster semi-final but that only means Jack O'Connor will have his side fully focused.

Brian Hurley missed the Meath loss through injury but clearly there are deeper issues. With three teams making it out of the round-robin phase, Cork are still in the mix but the omens aren't positive right now.

Plus there's a look at the minor footballers' loss in the provincial final in Tralee. Keith Ricken's young guns still have an All-Ireland quarter-final on the horizon but will be underdogs.

Now in its third season, every week Éamonn Murphy will be 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.

You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast

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The Cork hurlers suffered one of their worst defeats of the modern era at the hands of Limerick on Sunday.

Their display at TUS Gaelic Grounds was miles off the required level in the Munster Championship, especially when John Kiely's side were always going to be wired to the moon against the team that ended their five-in-a-row bid.

There were very few positives, if any, given Cork lost by a staggering 16 points, coughing up three goals and being outclassed in every line of the field. Now, they can still make the Munster final if they get the better of Waterford at home next Sunday, which you'd have taken at the outset of the campaign.

The manner of the loss though leaves them in a very vulnerable position for the visit of the Déise and going forward...

Declan Dalton, Rob Downey and Niall O'Leary are injury doubts and we reveal who we would bring into the starting 15 to replace them.

Were Cork complacent after landing the league and blitzing Tipp? Did the three-week break have an impact? Or was it just a bad day they can recover from? We certainly hope so.

The Cork footballers head to Navan on Saturday afternoon in the opening All-Ireland football series group game. Meath were devastated to be beaten by Louth in the Leinster final, especially when they'd take down Dublin, and will have no fear of the Rebels.

They've Kerry at home the following weekend and then face Roscommon in a neutral venue, so getting a victory against Meath is hugely important.

On the camogie front, the vote on skorts or skirts takes place this Thursday, while divisional teams have been given a reprieve to feature in the Cork senior camogie championship again this season.

We also look ahead to the Cork-Kerry minor final in football and reflect on the minor hurlers' provincial success.

Now in its third season, every week Éamonn Murphy will be 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.

You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast

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Cork versus Limerick, the two favourites for Munster and All-Ireland glory, in the Gaelic Grounds with the hosts desperate to inflict a modicum of revenge for last summer... it doesn't get more appealing.

On this week's Echo Podcast we preview the provincial hurling showdown in detail. John Kiely's comments after his side were back to their best in beating Waterford reflected his motivation for next Sunday.

The Treaty will be keen to lay down a marker but should Cork beat Waterford in their last group game the teams will still meet again in the Munster final, again on Shannonside due to the home and away agreement. So how important is it for the Rebels to secure another victory? The only thing that matters this season is who succeeds Clare as All-Ireland champions.

The U20s' narrow loss to Clare in the Munster semi-final is also reviewed, a game they could and probably should have won.

There's also a discussion on Louth and Meath's epic Leinster final and Cork's prospects when they travel to Navan to meet the Leinster runners-up at the end of the month. We also look at the league action over the weekend with Clonakilty maintaining their terrific form by hammering the Barrs.

Plus Cork camogie team's stand on skorts versus shorts pays off and a look at the latest club league action.

Now in its third season, every week Éamonn Murphy will be 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.

You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cork footballers are heading for a rematch with Kerry in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh after the draws were made for the All-Ireland group stages.

Whatever happens on the June Bank Holiday weekend, or away to the losers of Meath-Louth in the Leinster final and Roscommon, which will be at a neutral venue, Cork football isn't in a very strong position on the basis of recent underage results.

On this week's podcast we discuss the state of football on Leeside.

Keith Ricken's minors host Kerry this week in the Munster opener, with both counties moving to the semi-final anyway, hoping to fare better than last season's U17 crop. The U20s were outclassed by Kerry in their provincial final and the Rebels have failed to trouble their rivals at all since they last picked up Munster underage silverware.

Corn Uí Mhuirí action has highlighted how dominant Kerry are and you have to ask what is being done to arrest the slide? Cork haven't replaced Conor Counihan as Director of Football and given their financial issues are unlikely to do so while the lack of viable options if current senior manager John Cleary moves on at the end of the summer just shows how bleak the situation is.

There's also a chat about Limerick's impressive display in beating Waterford away and they clearly mean business despite being surprisingly held to a draw in Thurles last month. 

The Cork U20 hurlers have improved across the campaign and will the chance to reach the Munster final against a fancied Tipp if they can beat Clare in the Páirc. The Banner beat them in the minor equivalent three years ago.

This year's minors face Waterford in the Munster final, having completed the group with four wins from four and looking like very strong All-Ireland contenders.

We also look at how the leagues are panning out in hurling and football across the divisions, with the availability of Cork hurling squad players a great reflection of the management team and their positive attitude.

Plus a discussion of the Cork camogie and ladies football teams seasons so far and the skort versus shorts debate.You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast

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A great week for Cork hurling saw the minors, U20s and seniors victorious but what was expected to be a belter against Tipp on Sunday afternoon was overshadowed by the belting off the ball.

Darragh McCarthy got a red card in the first play and his departure meant there was only going to be one winner. There was a lot of niggly nonsense going on, just as there had been in the draw with Clare. 

Cork still hurled up a storm across the first quarter at the weekend, banging in three goals but the game was lifeless for long spells after. Ref Johnny Murphy gave the visitors a few soft frees for a while and Cork lost their focus.

They have a couple of weeks to breathe now before heading up to Limerick. Keeping the head with all the red card madness around will be crucial.

The U20s take on Waterford this week with a chance to set up a Munster semi-final, most likely against Clare, while the minors have been terrific in their three games, qualifying for the provincial decider with a game to spare. Joe Deane's son Cormac has been a standout in every outing but there's a great balance to the squad.

On the football front, the seniors are waiting to find out who they'll face in the All-Ireland group phase but Meath's victory over Dublin just reinforces the feeling they missed a great chance in their extra-time loss to Kerry.

The minors have their first outing this week but the U20s will be really up against it in the Munster final with Kerry.

Now in its third season, every week Éamonn Murphy will be 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.

You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a weekend of GAA action, even if Cork fans were left wondering how they didn't get one over Clare after storming into a 12-point lead on enemy turf.

An incredible game at Cusack Park ended in a welter of excitement as a red card to Shane Barrett and the Banner's ability to land ball on Peter Duggan at the edge of the square saw Cork lucky to escape with a draw in the end.

In the long term, provided Cork can get a win over Tipperary at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Sunday, the result might not derail the hype train but it shows the difference between league and championship.

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Cork have ticked every box so far this year, building up significant momentum on their way to a first league title since 1998.

They overwhelmed Tipp in the decider on Leeside, bringing their total of green flags in the last three games to 13, which included six up in Ennis where they head this Sunday.

The harsh reality is that league and championship are very different animals and All-Ireland champions Clare will unleash hell on Easter Sunday after getting hammered last month.

In our hurling special, we discuss the latest Cork-Clare showdown in detail with Denis Hurley, John Horgan and Jack McKay, and they offer their verdicts on the round-robin series while selecting their top three to qualify from Munster.

Can Brian Hayes build on his sensational spring form? Remember he wasn't in the starting line-up for the first round this time last year in Waterford.

Is Darragh Fitzgibbon's best position at 11 or will we see him back in midfield again over the coming weeks?

Cork's backs have been mean and tight lately and that improved defensive effort will be integral to bridging the gap to 2005, or even reach a first Munster final since 2018.

Our guests also discuss their personal Munster championship highlights over the years, the games and goals that stand out.

Barry O'Mahony joins us to preview Cork v Kerry in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The Kingdom were pushed all the way by John Cleary's side in their last two meetings but the new rules suited Kerry's attack in their Division 1 league victory.

Rory Noonan reports from the league finals over the weekend, which saw Cork lose to Galway in football but win the camogie crown for the first time since 2013. How are both sides fixed for championship?

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Cork, league champions again at last. It's not the big prize we all crave so badly but Pat Ryan's side bridged the gap to 1998 in style over the weekend.

All the pressure was on the Cork hurlers in the final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and they rose to the occasion, delivering a first-half display on par with their efforts against Limerick last May. This time there was no dramatic fightback, with the Rebels comfortable winners.

There was a cracking atmosphere as Cork stitched three goals in the second quarter though the second half was a strange affair, with the Rebels making a host of mistakes. Clare will have watched on with interest, particularly how Ronan Maher shielded his full-back line by dropping in front of the D.

The major question now is if Cork will carry their momentum and form into the summer, starting with that trip to Ennis on Easter Sunday. They blitzed the Banner for six goals in the league but as we all well know, championship is a very different animal.

The interest in the team is incredible with tickets for the provincial action being snapped up during the week. The scene is set for a thrilling Munster campaign.

On the football front, the Cork seniors and U20s had solid victories in the last week, but both now face very difficult games against Kerry.

Ray O'Mahony's charges are in Tralee on Monday night, curtailed by injuries to key forwards Dara Sheedy and Ed Myers. The seniors host Kerry on Easter Saturday in a straight knockout Munster semi. Did they show anything up in Limerick to suggest they could knock the league champions out of their stride?

Now in its third season, every week Éamonn Murphy will be 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.

You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 It's a massive weekend in Cork GAA with the hurlers hosting Tipperary in a sold-out league final.

SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be packed but was it the right call to make it a double-header with Offaly v Waterford in Division 1B, given the interest in the Faithful County? Home advantage might help the Rebels on the pitch come Sunday but it hasn't proved much use in terms of securing tickets.

It's hard to be overly critical of GAA for putting the Páirc in the spotlight in a contest that will generate an electric atmosphere but that's scant consolation to the fans who won't get to go. The Munster Championship matches also go on sale this week and all four games with Cork will most likely sell, out. Stand tickets are being distributed through the clubs but interest is at its highest since the mid-noughties.

We preview the final and make the case for Cork bridging a long gap since their last league success in 1998.

We also discuss the minor and U20 action last week and how regularly red cards are now being flashed for what looks like minimal contact, which saw Barry O'Flynn and Ben Walsh dismissed against Clare.

The footballers are in championship action on Saturday, heading to Limerick to face Division 4 league winners Limerick who will relish the underdogs tag. Cork ended their league with a decent bit of momentum though and should have enough to set up a Munster semi-final in the Páirc on Easter Saturday with Division 1 champs Kerry.

We look at the U20 football squad ahead of their provincial opener and round up the latest in the league after three games across the seven divisions.

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Cork delivered across the board over the weekend, the hurlers brushed Galway aside, the footballers took down Cavan to protect their position in the All-Ireland series and the camogie and ladies footballers moved into the league final with a game to spare.

For the hurling faithful, it was another excellent performance, Pat Ryan's side building up a head of steam but the knee injury that forced Brian Hayes off was a major downside. 

Next up is a league final against an equally in-form Tipp and while it's 'only the league', Cork badly need a trophy.

Cork are being hyped up nationally now as the team to beat but they well know that Clare, Limerick and more are waiting in the long grass with little interest in how the league panned out.

For John Cleary's footballers, they've ended the league after a couple of very good showings but again just outside the promotion places. It's only two weeks until championship throws in, against a Limerick team they'll be expected to beat but had a good league themselves.

Unfortunately, away from the playing fields, a darkness has been cast by a host of tragic deaths, including the passing of Midleton and Cork All-Ireland winning forward Ger Fitzgerald after illness and the sudden loss of 18-year-old tyro from Kilbrittain and Hamilton High School Oisín Gillain. Like Sars' Ray Ryan and Midleton U21 county winner Darragh McCarthy, they'll be hugely missed by family, friends, club members and the wider Cork GAA community.

You can listen to the Echo Sport Podcast every week wherever you get your podcasts or on www.echolive.ie/podcast

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