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

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 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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The Echo Sport Podcast takes in all the latest GAA action. This week we discuss the state of Cork football.

Barry O'Mahony analyses a strong performance at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh against the Louth team that knocked them out of last year's All-Ireland series. Mark Cronin and Chris Óg Jones led the line with aplomb while Colm O'Callaghan grabbed the critical goal.

It was a welcome reprieve for John Cleary's side who gave themselves a good chance of escaping relegation and if they beat Cavan away they'll secure a top-four finish and avoid a possible Tailteann Cup appearance.

However, the state of Cork football is still a major concern for all Rebels. The U20s taking a heavy beating, albeit in a challenge, from Louth didn't help, especially as underage results in recent years have been a disappointment outside of Munster minor titles in '21 and '22.

Where can improvements be made? The geographical spread of Cork football strongholds and the hurling preference in many areas certainly aren't helping...

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The Echo Sport Podcast takes in all the latest GAA action. 

This week we break down the Rebel rout of All-Ireland champions Clare on Sunday afternoon. Pat Ryan's side up to target the inside line and the reward was six goals, with Cork finally converting the chances they've been creating throughout the league.

Brian Hayes was the official TG4 Man of the Match but Declan Dalton was also unstoppable and Shane Barrett showed his best All-Star form. 

However, was it a case of going too well, too soon? Did the Rebels show too much? The weather and the crowd made it feel like championship but Clare now know exactly what to expect on Easter Sunday in the Munster Championship opener.

The other major talking point from the game, and across the hurling weekend, was the flurry of red cards shown. 

On the local front, Fr O'Neills had a fine win in Division 1 over champions Sars while Charleville impressed against Blackrock.

William Buckley was electric as St Finbarr's defeated Glen Rovers and Colin Walsh excelled for Kanturk in their loss to Douglas, while in Division 2, Daire Connery and Kevin Moynihan were superb for Na Piarsaigh in their draw with Ballincollig

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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Éamonn Murphy is joined by Barry O'Mahony and Denis Hurley to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field.

This week we pay tribute to Ray Ryan to former Cork hurler, Glanmire footballer and Sars legend, who won four counties and guided their U21s to glory. His death shocked everyone on Leeside but the GAA community rallied around his family and club.

His brother Pat spoke superbly at his funeral and carried himself with his customary class as he managed the Cork hurlers on Saturday night to a fine victory over Kilkenny.

We break down the Rebels' performance at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh with rookie forward Diarmuid 'Duds' Healy shooting the lights out to the tune of 1-5. 

There's still a lot of play for over the last couple of rounds, though wins over Clare and Galway would send Cork into the league final.

The Cork footballers suffered a 14-point hammering at the hands of Roscommon, which now makes relegation a concern and rules out promotion once more.

It was a disappointing night in the Páirc in every sense as a massive portion of the fans opted to depart after the hurling and more again at half-time when John Cleary's side were under pressure.

Closer to home the leagues threw in over the weekend as we finally got a break from the wet weather and Steven Sherlock caught the eye for St Finbarr's, firing 0-15 away to Cill na Martra.

Plus Celtic and Cork City line up glamour friendly for July in the Páirc, with a trophy made by Gerald McCarthy up for grabs...

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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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.

Here we examine the February window for club U21 football, which was washed out before the finals could be completed.

Do inter-county managers have too much control over underage players? Is there an alternative time of the season when it can be held?

Where do the Cork footballers stand in the pecking order after shipping three goals in a loss against Monaghan? Despite two defeats from four Division 2 league outings, they could still get back to the top flight but in their current guise, they're probably not strong enough to survive in that tier anyway.

Defensive frailties were a concern even when they edged out Westmeath in a thriller and they'll need to tighten up at the back with Roscommon in the Páirc this Saturday night.

Pat Ryan's side will be desperate to show more than they did up in Thurles when they face Kilkenny. Tipp were four-point winners but, aside from the first quarter, the livelier, harder working and more clinical outfit.

Cork have a bit of an injury crisis at the moment but that doesn't excuse a lack of intensity and bite though. Especially when Cork need a couple of young guns to force their way into the championship first 20.

We'll know a bit more about where the hurlers and footballers are at after the Super Saturday triple-header.

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 Echo Sport Podcast takes in all the latest GAA action. 

We discuss the ongoing Cork County Board media ban, which was brought in 13 months ago and prevents reporters from attending monthly delegate meetings. Information about commercial developments is still emerging but some clubs would rather journalists were allowed attend to ensure transparency.

There's a massive weekend on the horizon for the Cork hurlers and footballers.

John Cleary's side are off to Monaghan in what is a vital game if they're to have a shot at Division 2 promotion, though the hosts will be eager to bounce back from a loss to high-flying Roscommon. It took a Chris Óg Jones hat-trick to snatch a one-point win over Westmeath, which doesn't suggest the Rebels have to tools to make the step up to the top flight.

However, are we expecting too much from Cork football?

They're effectively a top-12 side on the basis of league and championship results over the past few seasons so why what right do Cork have to get the better of the likes of Westmeath? There's a SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh factor too where games are higher scoring and more open on such an expansive pitch, which other counties love to sample.

On the football front, we also discuss the latest U21 action and preview the divisional finals.

The hurlers had an extended break since the facile win over Wexford and the battling draw with Limerick and are in Thurles on Saturday night. Tipp lost to Limerick in their last game but do look on a mission to atone for a poor championship last year.

UL and DCU denied us an all-Cork Fitzgibbon Cup final, taking out UCC and MTU Cork. UL did have a Cork contingent on their winning team in Jack Leahy, Brian O'Sullivan and Ciarmhac Smyth. 

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.

The Echo Sport Podcast takes in all the latest GAA action, with a focus on the 37-man squad picked by Pat Ryan and his selectors for the hurling league.

Now in it's 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.

The hurlers have another weekend off before their next league game, away to Tipp, but revealed the panel they'll use for the rest of the spring with some of last year's squad cut. That included Seán Twomey, who started the Munster championship game in Waterford in 2024, and Conor Cahalane, who has significant championship experience.

Could a dark horse come into the set-up between here and the provincial campaign, like Power last summer? Jack Leahy perhaps, given his excellent form with UL on the back of a county title for Imokilly?

A number of Rebels are involved in the Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final with UCC and MTU Cork hoping to set up an all-Leeside final. We preview their chances against DCU and UL.

The Cork footballers are back in league action at home to Westmeath. They'd a thrilling victory over Meath in the opener but lost on the road to Down in their second outing, a significant blow to their promotion hopes.

They've proved adept at kicking two-pointers but their defence will need to be tighter as they build for championship.

In the Cork U21 club championships, the new rules helped serve up some extremely entertaining games.

On the camogie front, there was more heartbreak for UCC. Since capturing a 32nd Ashbourne Cup in 2003 they've now lost nine finals. The Cork ladies footballers made it two wins from three league games as they bid to escape from Division 2. Joe Carroll's charges hit Tipp for three goals with the return of Erika O'Shea from Aussie Rules a major boost for the Rebels.

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The Echo Sport Podcast takes in all the Bank Holiday weekend GAA action, toplined by the hurlers draw with Limerick and the footballers' trip to Down.

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.

Few league games were as hyped beforehand as Saturday night in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, between the controversy over the lack of TV coverage and talk of a 30,000-plus crowd, which ended up being a still incredible 23,402. The game wasn't as high-scoring as expected but the weather was a factor and it still finished in a whelter of excitement.

What did Cork learn? Tim O'Mahony was the standout performer but Ger Millerick, Niall Mellerick and Ciarán Joyce were prominent too. Apart from leaving too much space for Will O'Donoghue's goal, the defence was solid.

Darragh Fitzgibbon did damage in the half-forward line but is he a championship option as free-taker? And what about the rest of the forward line, which only hurler in fits and starts.

Up in Newry, the footballers were sickened after failing to build on a 10-point lead in their Division 2 defeat against Down.

The result means they simply have to beat Westmeath in their next league fixture to stay in the race for an overdue return to Division 1.

This week the Echo Podcast crew also discusses the financial issues from the Páirc rebuild that continue to generate unwanted headlines and the Fitzgibbon Cup knockout stages which involve UCC and MTU Cork.

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