All Ireland preview: Cork ‘need to be perfect’ to end 20 year drought

This Sunday will mark the sixth All-Ireland final appearance for the Cork senior hurlers since the Rebel County last lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2005.

After last year’s agonising 3-29 (38) to 1-34 (37) loss to Clare, Cork manager Pat Ryan and his squad will be more eager than ever to finally put an end what might otherwise be a 20 year All-Ireland drought for the Cork hurlers.

Speaking to GAA Now after last year’s final, Ryan said he was disappointed but very proud of his players and how they stayed in the game.

He said: “Heartiest congratulations to Clare. I supposed they just about probably deserved their victory in the end. Fantastic for their county, for their people. Look, we’re very proud of our own players and very proud of the public that came to support them and really stuck at it and got us back into the game at times when the game was going away from us.

“The adventure’s come to an end and look, it’s disappointing for us today, but look, we couldn’t be prouder of our lads the way they performed,” he added.

As was the case last year, Cork’s road to the 2025 final has not been without its fair share of bumps, the biggest of which came in the form of a humbling 3-26 (35) to 1-16 (19) defeat to Limerick in May. But the Rebels bounced back with a solid win against Waterford, setting them up for another go at Limerick in the Munster Final having already drawn with Clare and beaten Tipp back in April.

Cork and Limerick’s second meeting on 7 June was a different affair altogether despite Limerick going in as strong favourites to win their seventh Munster title in a row. The teams traded blows throughout regulation time and remained deadlocked at 2-27 to 1-30 (Cork) after extra time, resulting in history being made with the first ever penalty shootout in a Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Cork kept their cool and won the shootout 3-2 to secure a place in the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin on 5 July.

Riding high on their dramatic Munster final win, the Cork hurlers came at Dublin hard and proved too much for the Leinster champions on the day, winning out 7-26 (47) to 2-21 (27) and setting their sights on this Sunday’s final in Croke Park against Tipperary who finished third in the Munster Championship on point difference.

Having beaten Tipp comfortably 4-27 (39) to (24) 0-24 in April, the Rebel County may have to guard against complacency to some degree on Sunday where they are widely considered favourites for the clash.

Speaking to GAA Now after the Dublin win, Pat Ryan praised the Rebels’ performance but said there were still a lot of elements he wasn’t happy with.

“Efficiency wasn’t good enough, our tackles from behind wasn’t good enough; we gave away one or two sloppy goals,” said Ryan.

“Everything needs to be perfect for an All-Ireland final – it wasn’t perfect last year. We need to be perfect in two weeks’ time,” he added.

Cork take on Tipperary in the 2025 All Ireland Senior Hurling Final this Sunday 20 July in Croke Park with throw-in at 3.30pm.