Monday morning coming down. The lobby of the old Burlington Hotel is sparsely populated, it is a sombre scene punctured here and there by tight clusters of Cork hurling royalty making small talk around high tables.
Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Tomás Mulcahy, Joe Deane, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Brian Corcoran and John Allen all pass through the foyer at various stages, unhurried and respectfully. They have their medals, but they also know the hurt.
The current crew arrive down from their rooms in dribs and drabs. To their credit, every player asked for a photo or an autograph accedes to the request, managing not to look wearisome while doing so.
Patrick Horgan’s arrival sparks the loudest giddiness among the kids clutching camera phones and permanent markers. Two-year Jack is bobbing around the lobby too, oblivious to the fact he is not the only one wanting some of his dad’s attention.
Horgan scored 0-12 on Sunday, pushing him ahead of TJ Reid again on the list of all-time championship top scorers – but right now that kind of feels inconsequential.
“Disappointing, obviously we’re heartbroken,” says Horgan in the lobby of what is now The Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road. “We had something good going for so long in the year.”
At 36, the sand-clock continues to empty for Horgan. This was his 17th season in the blood and bandages, and with each passing year the fear grows on Leeside that “Hoggie” won’t be back for another one.
So, on this difficult morning, at least Cork supporters can take some solace from the news Horgan intends to remain a Rebel hurler in 2025.
“I hope so,” he says. “The group of players that are there, this is no messing, the players we have, and how close we all are, it would be really hard for me not to have that relationship with them, that we go training every night and get to know each other more.
“It’s probably the best environment I have been in since I played with Cork, this and the time Jimmy was there. Jimmy and Pat are very similar, they create an atmosphere within the players that is hard to explain.”
As he speaks, a figure approaches and gently places a hand on Horgan’s left shoulder.
“Doctor’s orders, he is not retiring! There is nothing wrong with him. We are going to get his heart and everything checked out and we go again next year.”
Horgan smiles back at Dr Con Murphy, Cork’s legendary team physician.
Dr Con is not the first member of the set-up to air such views this morning.
Pat Ryan was down before most. When asked about the chances of Horgan and Seamus Harnedy coming back next year, the Cork manager replies: “Oh yeah, without a shadow of a doubt.
“Patrick was coming in with a bit of a hamstring injury yesterday that fellas didn’t know about. Seamus had a slight one as well.
“In fairness to Patrick, he managed to stay in the game. We just couldn’t let him off, really, and he nailed frees at the end that we needed to nail. I don’t think we would have been able to if he wasn’t there, and it kept us in there. No, they’re mad to get going.”
Horgan suffered the hamstring injury on the weekend before the final.
“Yeah, last Saturday,” explains the Glen Rovers man. “All week I knew, I never ran or anything. I knew after five minutes [on Sunday], there was no sprinting.”
Cork might well feel aggrieved at some of the refereeing calls on Sunday – a 65 not given from a deflected Harnedy shot, a penalty claim waved away, the tug on Robbie O’Flynn’s jersey not spotted in the last play.
“I don’t want to make a big deal about them, but there were a couple of decisions that in a tight game like that, it’s a big deal,” says Horgan.
“I’d say if you were on the Clare side, there were probably decisions that maybe might have went against them the same. It’s just the time they came at for us, it was kind of a bit of a downer.
“The most important obviously was the last one, because that’s the end of the game.
“Harnedy’s chance would probably have been number two and then the penalty decision. Look, we had a couple of decisions earlier on in the year and I suppose our luck just ran out.”
Ryan hopes some good fortune will return in 2025. When he woke up on Monday, there was a text on his phone from former Cork senior football manager Conor Counihan, who led the Rebels to Sam Maguire glory in 2010.
“I got a lovely text from Conor this morning. They were beaten in the 2009 final and came back the following year. Dónal O’Grady the same, beaten in 2003 [before winning in 2004]. Look, that’s the job of our players [now].”
Horgan has now experienced the heartache of losing three All-Ireland finals – 2013, 2021 and 2024. For this crop of players, he feels Sunday’s defeat “stings more” than the 2021 loss to Limerick. But the show goes on.
“Some people might be thinking, ‘Oh [no], the winter training.’ That’s a dream to be able to do all of that,” says Horgan. “To be down with the boys early on in the year especially, because you always have something to work towards.”
If everything goes to plan, he intends to play in next year’s league.
“I wouldn’t want any special treatment,” he adds. “I’m not going to stand on the line and look at 37 other fellas breaking their backs.”
The lobby is busier now. Clusters of Cork hurling royalty remain dotted around the place in hushed conversations.
But Horgan is undoubtedly the star attraction. Before he makes it back across the foyer, a couple of kids approach, mouths open, phones at the ready. Horgan stops and forces a smile.
A heavy air of disappointment continues to hang over the room, but somehow this doesn’t feel like an ending.
