Dáire O’Leary 'back up to speed' as club form may lead to Cork recall
Keane Of Rebel Pic: Daire ©inpho/bryan Daniel Imokilly Sarsfields' Return?: And O'leary Hogan
There was no mention of Cork. Not a single one. But an inference could be drawn.
When Dáire O’Leary said on Sunday evening that he’d like to push forward in 2025, you got the sense he was speaking not only about the red and white of Watergrasshill.
On these pages the Tuesday after Imokilly returned to the summit of Cork hurling, columnist Seánie McGrath picked out the players he felt had earned themselves an audition in Cork colours next year.
From an entire county championship, McGrath saw fit to pick out only one defender. That defender was Dáire O’Leary.
“Even though his legs require a smidgen more pace, Dáire’s vision and distribution stood out in this championship. Good schooling and the right environment with Cork would benefit him,” McGrath wrote of the Imokilly half-back.
“Bottom line is Cork can't stop looking for players. They had some brilliant performances in defence from Rob and Eoin Downey, as well as Ciarán Joyce, but I still believe there are one or two places at the back up for grabs.”
If Cork are overflowing with forward options, there remains a nagging sense, as McGrath alluded to, that the defensive sextet is not yet settled and needs a slight reshaping of personnel.
Pat Ryan handing an opportunity and League minutes to 22-year-old O’Leary next spring wouldn’t be a first audition. That first audition was handed out by Kieran Kingston in 2022, only for injury to get in the way of the very obvious progress the youngster was then making.
Full-back during the county’s All-Ireland winning U20 campaign in 2021, O’Leary’s senior promotion was swift. He made his League debut at full-back the following February against All-Ireland champions Limerick.
And he held onto that full-back shirt right the way through to the League semi-final. A foot injury against Kilkenny, added to an already existing groin issue, saw him replaced at half-time and miss the subsequent decider.
There was to be no championship debut that summer, O’Leary only rejoining the matchday panel on the All-Ireland quarter-final afternoon that Cork’s championship involvement ended.
Pat Ryan twice used him during the 2023 League, against Westmeath and Clare respectively, but he was not seen again in red until the county’s sole Munster SHL outing last January. Those 35 second-half minutes remain his last at inter-county level.
Recent half-back form, both with Imokilly and Watergrasshill on their respective journeys to Premier Senior and Premier Intermediate county glory, suggests there will be more than 35 minutes clocked in 2025.
“A hundred percent, yeah,” replied O’Leary when asked, following Watergrasshill’s county final win over Carrigaline, if he felt back at his best.
“I was kind of caught with injuries the last couple of years. I’ve done a lot of work, personally and mentally as well with mental coaches.
“It’s just been about getting back up to speed, back to where I was in 2022. I didn’t come back fit enough in 2023 and it showed.
“These things happen but I’d like to push forward, going forward. I don’t see what’s stopping it now, to be perfectly honest. There’s a good few lads there putting their hands up now as well.”
Whatever next season brings on the inter-county stage, 2024 has surpassed all expectations on the club and divisional front.
“It feels unreal, genuinely. Winning [the Premier Intermediate] is after topping off the year completely, doing the double with Imokilly and Watergrasshill.
“At the start of the year, we met, trying to get Eddie [Enright] to be our manager. We hadn’t got over the line in previous years, getting a lot of draws, but we knew that there was savage potential there.
"It’s unreal, an unbelievable feeling.”
A collection of the latest sports news, reports and analysis from Cork.