Cork Hurling

Cork are one of the top hurling teams in Ireland.They hold the second most All Ireland Title's (30) having just lost having the most titles to Kilkenny a few years ago. Kilkenny has 32 All Ireland Titles. Cork have also won 50 Munster Titles and 14 National League Titles. The Cork team went on strike last year and a few years ago.

Corks nickname is the Rebels. Cork have two hurling stadiums one of them is Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the other is Páirc Uí Rinn. The manager of Cork is Denis Walsh. Cork's captain is Keiran "Fraggy" Murphy.

(Below)Seán Óg O Hailpin

Christie Ring, probably the greatest Cork player ever holds the record for the most appearances and the top scorer. His appearances is 64 and his scores is 33 goals and 208 points.

Early Years

Back at the start of hurling Cork had been one of the keenest counties wanting to put out a team in the Hurling All Ireland Championship in 1887; however an argument over which team should play for the county made Cork not play in it at all. Cork entered a team in 1888 and won their first All Ireland Title in 1890 when Aughabullogue, Cork beat Castlebridge, Wexford.

For the first 4 years of the All Ireland Championship the county champions would play for the county, but this changed in 1892 when Cork won with a team consisting of the best hurlers in all of the clubs. More All Ireland Titles in 1893 and 1894 made Cork be the first hurling team to win the three in a row. This feat would later be broken by Kilkenny and Tipperary. Cork played in all the All Ireland Finals between 1901 and 1905 but they only one 2 of these in 1902 and 1903 (the double).After this Cork Hurlers didn't win an All Ireland Title for 16 years until 1919. They contested in 5 final from 1926 and 1931 winning on four of these finals.

For one important reason the Cork team of the 1940's is thought as one of the two greatest teams of all time. They are one of only two teams ever to win the 4 in a row, the other team being Kilkenny between 2004 and 2009.

Cork lost the 1941 Munster championship. In 1941 Cork were looking for an All Ireland Victory that hadn't come since 1931.

The final of 1939 is known as the thunder and lightning final. The day before World War 2 broke out Cork was against Kilkenny team who was playing in their fourth final in 5 years. The game was played at a blistering pace. It was nip and tuck. Both teams were staying pretty much level throughout the game and then a crack of thunder erupted and interrupted play and rain poured down. After a hard fought match Kilkenny emerged victorious by just one point.

In 1941 a hopeful Cork team were for an All Ireland Title that they hadn't won for ten years. However an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the midlands forced Tip and The Cats to withdraw from the competition, because of this Cork played Limerick in the Munster final and won. They went on to hammer Dublin in the All Ireland Final. After the All Ireland they played the real Munster final, which had been delayed, against Tipperary.

Cork won All Ireland's in 1952, 1953, 1954, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978 and in 1990. After losing to Kilkenny in 1992 Cork didn't win another All Ireland till 1999.Jimmy Barry Murphy who had given so much effort as a player coached the youngest Cork team to win an All Ireland. I t was expected that the team would build on the victory but the exact opposite happened. They lost in the Semi-Final to Offaly. The Cork players went on strike in 2002 wanting their own Doctor at all Championship, league and free gym use.in time the demands were given but not before the footballers went on strike aswell.

After the strike The Rebels came back harder than ever winning three out of four Munster Titles.Cork became the best team in the country making four All Ireland Titles in a row. Winning in 2004 and 2005.They attempted the three in a row in 2006 but were beaten by Kilkenny.