Gavin Cummiskeytalks to the Cork manager, who just can't help smiling after Sunday's All-Ireland win

CONOR COUNIHAN just smiles at us. The real glimpse into his soul was evident during that emotion-fuelled pitch-side interview conducted immediately after Sunday’s victory.

There are other images that will linger. Like the sight of The Rock with a tear in his eye. That showed the importance of this to Cork GAA. After the strike and subsequent decline of their small ball merchants, there was Diarmuid O’Sullivan, the legendary Cloyne hurler, overwhelmed by the sight of a Cork football triumph.

This success should free them from the shackles placed upon them by their neighbours in recent times. Cork are now free to push on. Counihan merely pointed out yesterday how difficult it is to retain the All-Ireland and National League titles due to the current levels of competitiveness.

“Ah sure, you say ‘go on’ but they’ve been going on for the last number of years. We’ve been to so many semi-finals and finals. We won Division Two, we won Division One and the only thing you can do next year is go on and repeat it and that’s no easy task.

“It’s one of the most competitive championships. I’ve remarked to people in the past that going back to the early 80s you had Kerry and Dublin dominance but there were only two teams really in it and you came on to Tyrone, then Cork and Meath.”

“The last number of years have seen different champions year in, year out. It’s a very difficult championship now to retain.”

Counihan’s three-year term is complete. After seeing the departure of Eamonn O’Brien in Meath and even Joe Kernan’s failed revolution in Galway it is clear anything can happen when the Cork County Board congregate.

That is for another day, was all Counihan would say. That he managed to guide a seemingly broken team 12 months ago to All-Ireland glory will be his legacy.

“I suppose you’d be always a bit worried but I remember about this time (last year), three o’clock, fellas were in the bar and I called them in a room and I said, ‘Lads, you can go one way or the other’, and in fairness we’ve turned it around and we got our day in the sun, as the man said.”

Cork goalkeeper Alan Quirke was asked the same question about Counihan’s future. He had no problem telling us he hoped to see him in January.

“Absolutely,” said Quirke. “Conor is the kind of guy who plays his cards close to his chest. He’s a big family man, he buried his brother a few days ago so he has had a tough year.

“He has been under huge pressure from all quarters in terms of the football. He has four kids as well so he has a lot of commitments. Nobody can guess what’s going on in that man’s head.”

No one but the man himself and he just smiles.

They cannot question his decisions anymore.