Cork have named an unchanged team for Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final against Clare. The one listed amendment sees Tim O’Mahony and Ciarán Joyce wearing numbers eight and five, respectively but this simply confirms a switch that was made before the throw-in of their semi-final against Limerick.
The bench is also unchanged meaning that the same 26 who were involved in the thwarting of Limerick’s five-in-a-row ambitions will take on Clare in a repeat of the 2013 final.
Three members of the panel – Séamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan and replacement Conor Lehane – all started the final and replay 11 years ago.
It is three years since Cork’s most recent appearance in an All-Ireland final, a chastening 16-point defeat by Limerick, winning back-to-back titles for the first time in the county’s history.
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Cork show six changes from that day’s starting line-up. In come Eoin Downey, Ciarán Joyce, Declan Dalton, Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly and Brian Hayes. Five of Sunday’s replacements, Luke Meade, Lehane, Jack O’Connor, Shane Kingston and Robbie O’Flynn, started in 2021.
The county are chasing a first All-Ireland since 2005, an unprecedented gap of 19 years.
CORK: Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra; capt); Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), Mark Coleman (Blarney); Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville); Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neill’s), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s); Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), Alan Connolly (Blackrock), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s).
Subs: Brion Saunderson (Midleton), Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neill’s), Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), Luke Meade (Newcestown), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), Conor Lehane (Midleton), Jack O’Connor (Sarsfields), Shane Kingston (Douglas), Pádraig Power (Blarney), Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own).
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