Under 17s claim a famous victory
CORK’S underage and Under 21 inter-county stars shone in 2017 with the minors and the Under 17s making it all the way to Croke Park for their respective show-piece games with the latter taking the spoils in thrilling fashion.
The Under 21 also showed well in Munster, but didn’t make it any further after meeting an uncompromising Limerick side.
The minors had a hugely enjoyable and successful season which really got going thanks to a magnificent win over Tipperary at the second time of asking. The young Rebels entertained a huge crowd at Pairc Uí Rinn for the replay and booked a place in the provincial final against Clare.
The Munster Final was a great day for all Cork fans with over 45,000 inside the home of hurling to witness the young Rebels seeing off the Banner, which was the prelude to Cork’s magnificent senior win over the same county.
Cork’s minor hurlers strode into headquarters still riding on the back of the senior side. Both panels were hugely impressive all season and Croke Park seemed to be the right place for both sides to strut their stuff.
While the big boys bowed out at the last four stage the minor hurlers kept the dream alive as Denis Ring’s band of young guns saw off Dublin to book their place on September 3.
Galway were the opposition in that final and the tribesmen, inspired by a brace of goals from Jack Canning, nephew of senior star Joe Canning, were to be the new kingpins of minor hurling. The result was harsh on Cork, but the displays throughout were enough to fill Cork hurling lovers with a warm, fuzzy and hugely optimistic feeling for the future.
Cork’s younger grade of Under 17s was even more successful in 2017 making it all the way to the All-Ireland Final and taking home the inaugural national crown at this grade. Cork were awesome all season and fully deserved their tilt at the title.
The Rebels faced up to a Dublin side in the final that were fancied for this title from a long way out however on the day it was cork, and their band of hugely talented young stars, eight of which still had involvement with the county minors, that would seal the deal.
The two-point win 1-19 to 1-17 was yet more proof, it were needed, that Cork hurling was at least in the process of turning a corner, if it hadn’t done that already.
Players of the quality of Ronan Sheehan, Dáire Connery, Colin O’Brien and Declan Hanlon all impressed throughout the season and all have a very bright future ahead of them both on and off the pitch.
Cork’s Under 21 hurlers had a pretty good season by any standards however they failed to make it out of the province after
succumbing to a Limerick side that were well favoured for the title.
Cork had senior stars Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Shane Kingston in their line-up for a semi-final encounter with Waterford while the Déise were able to call upon players of the quality of Conor Gleeson, Shane Bennett and Patrick Curran to bolster their young side.
This was always likely to be a serious battle of wills with both sides happy to play expansive attacking hurling. Right from the off this was ding dong, but at the finish a last-minute penalty goal from the Rebels’ Declan Dalton saw them home and into the Munster Final.
The show-piece game had far less excitement than the semi with about half the scoring of the Waterford v Cork clash. Limerick looked comfortable for long periods and looked relatively home and hosed at the break but Cork rallied well, eventually losing out by just two points 1-11 to 0-16.
A very credible display in this competition which went a long way to bringing on the likes of Coleman, Dalton, Fitzgibbon and Kinston, which can only bode well for the future of Cork hurling.
Cork Under 21 manager John Meyler was subsequently drafted in to take over the senior squad which after seeing what the Under 21s produced looks to be a solid move for all concerned.
Overall, Cork’s inter-county hurling sides had a very positive season and all will be looking to next year to push on to another level.
– Diarmuid Sheehan