This is an historic weekend for Cork as the county chases All-Ireland senior hurling and ladies football glory in the space of twenty-four hours.
On Saturday at 5pm the county’s senior hurlers chase a 31st title when they take on Clare in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final replay at Croke Park, while on Sunday at 4pm, also at headquarters, Cork ladies footballers will seek their place in history when they take on Monaghan in the hope of bringing an eighth title back to the county in nine years.
It will be Cork’s third time being involved in an All-Ireland hurling final replay and the first since 1931; on the two previous occasions the Rebels emerged victorious, over Dublin and Kilkenny.
The ladies footballers managed by former Cork footballer Eamonn Ryan are without doubt the finest combination of their generation in the code and head for Croke Park on Sunday defending an unbeaten record in finals that started with the county’s first success in 2005.
Thousands are expected to make the journey to Croke Park by air, road and rail to be present for what is a unique occasion. Patrick Cronin will captain the Cork hurlers as they bid to bring the Liam McCarthy Cup back to Leeside for the first time since 2005 while Anne Marie Walsh will lead the Ladies footballers as they seek to complete three in a row and bring the Brendan Martin Cup back to the Rebel County. See 16-page feature on the finals inside.