Seanie McGrath and Joe Deane celebrate during the 1999 Munster SHC Final.
By Cian O’Connell
As Cork prepare to party like it is 1999 again, Seanie McGrath, a hero of that thrilling triumph, discusses the electricity of the current campaign.
For some strange reason Cork can just switch from pretenders to contenders. The disappointment and defeats suffered in 2015 and 2016 brought worry Leeside, but the recent signs supply encouragement and hope.
Kieran Kingston, similar to JBM back in 1999, has invested hugely in youth. Championship debutants have adapted to the new surroundings briskly. McGrath, though, a Cork selector between 2012 and 2015, was adamant that Colm Spillane, Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Kingston, and Luke Meade had the talent and temperament to prosper.
“Definitely, the young lads have adapted brilliantly,” McGrath says. “To be fair to Kieran, I don't think he gave a debut to five guys that haven't showed tremendous ability in the last couple of years, both at underage and club level.
“Everyone in Cork knew they had ability and everyone in Cork wasn't terribly surprised that they got their chance. Kieran showed the guts in doing it, other managers mightn't have done that.
“Jimmy did it in 1999, they have taken to it like ducks to water. What it also has done is it has brought the older generation on another step to the extent that when some of the younger guys didn't quite play to the high standard we expected, the older guys Conor Lehane, Damien Cahalane, Patrick Horgan did.
“What it has done is brought an influx of new talent, refreshed the whole thing, but it has also spurred on the older guys. It has gone totally to plan, it has been fantastic.
The Cork public have embraced them because the new guys are skilful, they are cocky, they can play, they don't seem to be fazed by the occasion. Fans in general like that type of hurler, Cork in particular do.”
Seanie McGrath, former Cork hurler, and Dessie Dolan, former Westmeath footballer, pictured at Croke Park as Ericsson appointed new Official Technology Partner of the GAA.
Having come so close to winning an All Ireland in 2013, McGrath reckons some of the established Cork players were criticised too heavily.
“Definitely, I think they were written off too early in their careers and fellas making comments that they could go through their careers without winning an All Ireland. Those fellas won All Stars that year, they won tremendous battles, Kilkenny in Quarter-Final, Dublin in a great Semi-Final, came through a tough campaign in Munster, very unlucky against Limerick when Patrick Horgan was sent off early and that might have had a bit of an influence on the game.
“They had a great campaign the following year winning a Munster title, okay slipped against Tipperary in the Semi-Final. There is fierce ability in the panel, they just needed something. I think we as a management group had maybe gone a bit stale in '15, the change was good. Kieran brought in a new fresh approach with Sully (Diarmuid O’Sullivan), Pat Hartnett, John Meyler, Pat Ryan they have all been outstanding.
“The players themselves needed an injection and that spur of life that comes from young players. I thought it was very unfair the criticism they were getting. Now in saying that the criticism came on the back of poor performances last year so you should only get praise when you deserve it and they didn't deserve credit last year. To be fair to those players, ability wise it was there. It is great to see them using their ability and the new players bedding in so well.”
Impressed with Clare’s class McGrath believes Sunday’s Thurles tussle will be a gripping affair. “Clare have been a sleeping giant as far as I'm concerned. They won in '13 and didn't really kick on.
"They have so many marquee players like Conor McGrath, Tony Kelly, Podge Collins, and Shane O'Donnell, who really seems to have got his form back. Their forward line is as good a forward line as is out there. Our lads will have to be teak tough, aggressive in the tackle and not give them any space.
“Our forward line Conor Lehane, Patrick Horgan, (Seamus) Harnedy, Alan Cadogan is equally as potent. Defensively we seem to have it right so far, but definitely we seem to be solid centrally, Damien and Mark Ellis are playing so, so well. There is huge similarities. Neither side will fear each other.”
That is significant according to McGrath. “The big thing for Cork is we have nine or 10 lads with no experience playing Clare so any baggage our fellas have over half the team has no baggage because they aren't used to playing Clare at senior level. That is another intriguing part or aspect of the game. It promises to be an intriguing contest.”
