The sting of defeat lingers, but the future beckons. Cork hurling fans are already looking ahead to the 2026 season, hoping to erase the painful memories of recent losses. The annual All-Star awards serve as a stark reminder of the previous season's highs and lows, and for Cork supporters, it was a particularly unwelcome recap of a disappointing All-Ireland final.
While four Cork players—Sean O’Donoghue, Ciarán Joyce, Darragh Fitzgibbon, and Brian Hayes—earned All-Star honors, the event felt like a painful rehash of the final's second half, where Tipperary snatched the Liam MacCarthy Cup. As Christy O’Connor pointed out, it's rare to see so many All-Stars effectively cemented in just one half of play. The consensus seems to be that Cork deserved the four they received, but at halftime, it looked like they would take home at least seven awards.
But here's where it gets controversial... Many fans simply want to move on. The announcement of next year's league fixtures offers a welcome distraction, with the home game against Waterford on January 25th already circled on the calendar. This match will be the first of three home league ties, followed by a rematch against Tipperary on February 7th and a final home fixture against Offaly on March 21st. Away games against Galway, Kilkenny, and Limerick will round out the schedule.
Both Cork and Tipperary only lost one game each in the lead-up to this year’s final. To have any hope of retaining their title, Cork might need to secure two wins from those challenging away trips.
Adding to the excitement, the Munster Hurling League returns in January after a year's absence. This competition, featuring all six Munster counties, is scheduled from January 3rd to 17th, with each team playing three games and the finalists getting a fourth. For Cork fans, these fixtures offer the first chance to move past last year's All-Ireland heartbreak and, more importantly, to see Ben O’Connor's Cork side in action.
Every Cork fan likely has their own ideas about how to reshape the team for next year. However, only Ben O’Connor and his management team's decisions truly matter.
We've already heard that players like Dáire O’Leary and Sean Desmond, Brian O’Sullivan, Hugh O’Connor, Brian Keating, Cian Darcy and Colm McCarthy, Jack Leahy, and Barry Walsh are likely to get opportunities. Additional players, such as Cillian Tobin and those who won U20 All-Irelands with O’Connor, including Ben Cunningham, William Buckley, Shane Kingston, and Micheál Mullins, are also expected to get a shot.
And this is the part most people miss... Identifying players with potential is one thing; determining who will step up and secure significant playing time in the league and championship is another challenge entirely. The panel likely needs a refresh. Losing three All-Ireland finals in five years leaves scars, and it's time to bring in players who haven't experienced those defeats.
A key question: Do you think Ben O'Connor will be ruthless enough to make the necessary changes, even if it means letting go of some big names?
