Diarmuid O'Sullivan hopes run from trio of Cork clubs can boost Rebels

For Sarsfields, Watergrasshill and Russell Rovers in 2024, read Newtownshandrum, Ballinhassig and Fr O’Neills in ‘06. The current triumvirate will be aspiring to do better than the one out of three return 18 years ago (only Fr O’Neills won their decider) but their collective achievements in getting to Croke Park next month is obviously a healthy reflection on the game in the county.

O’Sullivan is naturally wary of interpreting such achievements as confirmation that Cork are back. “I don’t think we can look that far ahead, Cork are close – as we seen last July. Hopefully, the three clubs in Cork will parachute Cork and maybe bring them to the next level again.” 

However, he does agree with county secretary Kevin O’Donovan that the changes to the structure of the Cork championships, adding senior “A” and thereby making premier senior more cut-throat, have strengthened their representatives in provincial and All-Ireland competition.

Across these past two seasons, Sarsfields know how tough it is to prevail in a premier senior final as it is to lose one. “To win any Cork championship, by the time you get to a semi-final or final, you have a lot of work done, a lot of hurling done and it hardens a group, toughens a group,” says three-time All-Ireland SHC winner O'Sullivan.

“I think towards the last seven or eight minutes we still had a bit in reserve. Our key players were still pushing forward, you see our centre-back Cillian Roche carried the ball from the top of the D all the way to the other D. They have a great fitness bank of energy built up. Absolutely, it stands (to a team), coming through a hardened Cork championship, it sets you up if you can get over the Munster hurdles.” 

Sarsfields’ stories of bereavement and disaster are well-known at this stage but O’Sullivan points to how the management team under Johnny Crowley had to heal the set-up too.

“I remember when we took over the group initially two years ago, they were a group that failed to get out of the group stages in Cork, they were maligned, ‘they couldn’t pull together, the group was fractured, it was going to be impossible to fix what we had.’ 

“But you have to make an environment safe for guys that they can come in and enjoy the surroundings and be able to hurl, and I think that’s what we did.

“The county final (loss to Imokilly), yes it might have had an impact, but it was two years ago we started this journey that we rebuilt this group, that no matter what happened we could take it and move them to the next level.” 

O’Sullivan expected nothing but a grind against Slaughtneil, his experience assisting Ronan Sheehan’s Down from time to time a helpful reminder of the strength of club hurling in Ulster.

“What can you say about them? I do a small bit of work up that side of the country with the Down lads. You can see the work that is being done in Ulster. Even though they didn’t win, and there’s no substance in moral victories for them, I think they showed they are an incredible club. Eight of the last 10 All-Ireland semi-finals in hurling and football – God almighty, lads, it’s some record. Hats off to them.” 

The five-week break to the All-Ireland final against Na Fianna is a peculiar circumstance for O’Sullivan. “It’s very strange, extremely strange. Was this rushed in when you look at the semi-finals (football) the week after Christmas? It’s a strange one, but look I’d rather have the problem and try to solve it than not have a problem to be solving. It’s a great problem.

“Semi-finals are the ugly part, they are the hardest part, in a final the result will always take care of itself. We are in there, we’ll relish the opportunity, it’s a historic moment for the Sarsfields club, we’ll go up there representing Cork with our best foot forward.”