Cork Pride Intact

8th Apr 2009

Cork Pride Intact
Finbarr Barry

Barely off the oxygen tanks, inhalers and prozac since Sunday afternoon's twenty-seven point defeat to Kilkenny, our Cork pride remains as solid as ever. A tough day out for all Corkonians no doubt but one that will separate the real men from the boys come championship time.

New coach Denis Walsh

It was one thing to peer at TG4's coverage through clasped hands or lie in bed listening to the radio with the quilt pulled up over your head but at least you had the option of turning it off.

Those who watched from the sanctity of Leeside could mute the commentary or switch to another station if the 'action' got too painful. But spare a thought for those at the game who had to endure cruel taunting from the moment the first Kilkenny goal went in to when they closed their car doors and made the slow silent journey back to the People's Republic.

Despite the ancient rivalry there is certainly a mutual respect between Kilkenny and Cork players on the field - the same would have been said about supporters in the past.

Everyone can give and take a bit of slagging, a few verbal 'ballhops', even the indiscernible mockery of Waterford fans can be tolerated on the rare occasions they defeat us - mainly because we don't actually understand the intended insults anyway.

One unwritten rule that Cork fans certainly obey is that when a bunch of opposing fans are suffering a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Rebels you lay off - Wexford and Clare are two teams that have received embarrassing double-figure defeats over the last few years. After it becomes clear that their team are not at the races you zip it. Not so with Kilkenny fans.

Cheers went up in Parnell Park and Pearse Stadium as news of Cork's defeat was announced

Mimicking their player's ability to keep the foot on the pedal Kilkenny fans ramp up the slagging as the points margin gets bigger. The wider the points difference became the bigger the insults they risked - the recent strike being the unrelenting theme of most comments.

"Look at ye lads! Can't get within 40 yards of our goal. I suppose ye'll go on strike now!"
"27 points langers! Nearly one for every striking player!"

You get the picture. Almost all Cork fans who braved the defeat stood with their team until the final whistle - a sight rarely seen during championship defeats of any team and a sign of the healthy mindset of Cork supporters.

There are few Corkonians who will have taken satisfaction from Sunday's result - sadly and inevitably there will be some. And they should be ashamed. Just like those who took satisfaction from the development squad's large defeats.

The reasons why Cork GAA remains so non-chalant in the face of the "brand Munster" (as their coach likes to refer to them) and Premiership PR and merchandising machines remains a mystery but nonetheless the healthy obsession with sport in the county remains. There's little to be gained from pointing fingers at each other right now.

Nazi occupation of Europe in 1943 having dominated Europe for four years.

Cody's boys may look set to dominate hurling for the greater part of the next decade but Hiltler's army looked invincible too as they blitzkrieged their way through Europe decimating armies in their wake with victories rolling in as fast as the tracks of the Panzer II tanks could carry them.

The surge from the brutal dictator's home country was not quelled over night - the Germans settled down as European overlords for a few years. They planned for eternal dominance.

Eventually like all wars D-Day will come and the push will begin. It will start with less convincing victories for the enemy.

Their bainisteoir will order renewed surges. This will gain them some pride-restoring victories but shows up further weaknesses.

Slowly but surely the forces for good will combine and learn how to defeat their opponent: chipping away at the seemingly impenetrable ring of steel that currently protects the Liam McCarthy Cup, searching for soft spots and continually building up strength to exploit them when D-Day finally arrives. Eventually.

We must be patient. We must persevere and walk tall. Most importantly we must remain undeterred by failure no matter how catastrophic results like Sunday's might appear against past records or whatever chancers in the national media revel in acting as Cork's grim reaper.

Many loyal Cork fans who endured the 2007 All Ireland football final when it seemed Kerry had slipped some sort of drug into the Cork water bottles will remember the far-reaching questions that rattled around in their heads as they walked from Croke Park in comprehensive defeat.

Less than one year later, more or less the same Cork outfit thrashed the same Kerry team at Pairc Uí Chaoimh in the famous Munster final monsoon, drew an All-Ireland semi-final and ran the Kingdom agonisingly close in the replay.

At the beginning of last year many wouldn't have given Cork a hope in hell after such a dramatic collapse against their biggest rivals. We were told that Cork footballers just crumble at the sight of the Kerry jersey and that was that. We shouldn't forget in the aftermath of a defeat that the tables can turn very quickly.

The real reason Kilkenny fans took such pleasure in teasing Cork fans on Sunday was because they know their time is limited until the true order is finally restored. When their team eventually falters, and they will, Kilkenny fans know that it will be Cork who are most likely to be breathing down their necks ready to bring Liam McCarthy back to his rightful home.