I’ve no connection to Co Cork. Save for being transported there while still in the Moses Basket because my sister was competing in athletics in The Mardyke. Also competing on same ‘card’ that day was one G. Geraghty (Kentstown AC). Isn’t it funny the way the wheels of life turn?
Other than that, the other abiding memory of being in Rebel territory was being thence in early June one year on a family holiday and being flabbergasted that, at such an early stage of the harvest season, not only was all the winter barley cut but the straw therefrom had been baled and drawn in from the hills high above Blarney.
However, if one wanted to keyboard or record a book about a lifetime of following and being involved in sport, base camp could be pitched in Cork and several voluminous tomes produced – and you’d still end up leaving somebody out.
Where does one begin? Well, for reasons which will require zero elaboration for many, for this writer, it has to be Jack Lynch. Yes, Ring merits a different plateau altogether and much of what he achieved within the GAA will never be equally – though that in itself is, at least, in part due to the way in which the Railway Cup – God rest its gentle soul – was, conveniently and shamefully in my view, allowed drift into extinction.
Lynch, though, like Ringy but in a different way, also holds a unique position in Irish history. Sporting and otherwise. For not only was he an extensively decorated dual player at the highest level in GAA he was also whom many of us believe to be greatest Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) in the history of the State.
At the very least, one of the great political survivors. Perhaps matched only by his greatest internal adversary. The magnificent and often maliciously maligned CJH. Another difference between the two from a personal perspective is that to my utmost and eternal regret, I never did get to meet the man of Flashing Steel but, on two separate occasions, was left awestruck and dumbstruck encountering Jack and his wonderful wife Mairin. A lot closer to home than people might realise.
Anyway, as for Cork sporting stars you could make a life out of waxing lyrical about, just consider some of but not limited to the following – Roy Keane, Sonia O’Sullivan, JBM, Ronan O’Gara, Denis Irwin, Donal Lenihan, Billy Morgan, Ring, Lynch, the O’Donovan brothers, Valerie Mulcahy, Jonjo O’Neill, Rob Heffernan, Brid Corkery, Rena Buckley, Teddy McCarthy, Aisling Thompson, Davy Russell and the late Michael O’Sullivan.
You’ve already constructed an amalgam of commensurate length completely separate from the above in your head, haven’t you? For those whose cognisance of the sporting world manifested within the past two decades – or the rest of us who were fortunate enough to see him weave his wizardry on a GAA pitch – Pat Horgan has to be at or very near the top of any such ensemble.
Now, assembling collections like that of the greatest hurlers never to attain a Mac Carthy Cup souvenir is not only futile, I feel comparing cases of greatness against each other devalues them individually. As the great Johnny Giles was known to pontificate during his seemingly endless media career, far better is it to take each case on its merits. Yet we all do the other thing too.
Thus, the artist – for that is what he truly is in possession of a hurl – universally known as Hoggy will now sadly absolutely go down as one of the old game’s greatest exponents never to garner its greatest gong. In one way, it’s somewhat surprising that the man from the Glen is stepping away now.
Firstly because there is already ample evidence there is already the nucleus of a good team in place – you don’t get to successive All Ireland SHC Finals without such being the case. And secondly, if such being the case needed another further endorsement, all indications are that things might be about to get even better for folk by the Lee.
As it would seem most certain that incoming Cork manager Ben O’Connor will brimg some or many of those with whom he engineered underage success through to the highest level.
For fear of getting names wrong, this corner is weary of mentioning any, but, with the likes of Tommy O’Connell , William Horgan and Charlie Deane likely to become ever more prominent, you’d imagine their wait to regain the throne won’t go on much longer.
But still, Hoggy owes nobody anything, if the mighty Glen Rovers look after him, he could hurl on as long as Ringy.
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