Senior step up

rock, the lion-hearted defender enjoyed huge success at senior level, garnering every major honour in the game, including four All-Ireland medals and the hurler-of-the-year award in 1978.

Tony O’Sullivan, hurler-of-theyear in 1990, likewise achieved it all in the top flight following his three-year stint with the Cork minors, which yielded an All-Ireland medal in 1979. Just 19 when making his debut with the seniors in 1982, he was chosen as an All-Star that year, gaining similar recognition in 1986, 1990 and 1992.

A silken-skilled attacker, O’Sullivan, in his last year eligible for minor duty, won an All-Ireland medal in football in 1981.

Pat Horgan, at 16, shared in Cork’s All-Ireland minor triumph in 1974, he won an Under 21 medal in 1976, but the Rebels failed to reach the summit when he was a regular on the senior

Neither Paddy Ring nor Pat Kavanagh played senior hurling, but both were outstanding minors

side – winning two All-Stars at centre-forward – between 1980 and 1983.

Finbarr Delaney won an All-Ireland medal in his third year as a minor in 1974, but it was another fifteen years before he graduated to senior ranks, lining out in attack on a Cork team – rated by many as one of the weakest ever to represent the county – beaten by Waterford in a Munster semi-final replay in 1989.

Neither Paddy Ring nor

Pat Kavanagh played senior hurling with Cork, but both were outstanding minors, with Ring winning an All-Ireland medal in 1967 and Kavanagh winning his second when captaining the team to victory over Galway in 1970.

Along with Kavanagh, and John Buckley, others to collect a second All-Ireland minor medal in 1970 were future senior stars Martin O’Doherty of Glen Rovers, Youghal’s Seánie O’Leary and Newcestown’s Tim Crowley, along with Bandon’s Noel Crowley, Shamrocks’ Ger Hanley, Midleton’s Seamus O’Farrell and Mallow’s Tommy Sheehan.

All of which suggests the 1969 Cork minor side was probably the youngest ever to lift the top prize in that grade.