Patrick Horgan
By John Harrington
Patrick Horgan didn’t just win a Munster Senior Hurling medal with Cork today, he also wrote his name in the history books.
The 13 points he scored means he has now surpassed his fellow Glen Rovers club-man, the late, great Christy Ring, as Cork’s all-time leading Championship scorer.
Horgan admitted after the match the whole day had been a very special experience, but preferred to dwell on the collective rather than his own individual achievement.
“Yeah, it's brilliant,” he said. “It's a great game to be involved in, but playing for this team just gives you a great buzz.
“Like, you want to try your hardest for everyone else and you know they're all doing the same for you. It's just a great team and panel to be involved in. We have a great set-up. You couldn't ask for anything more.
“There's no young or old or whatever, I think everyone just gets on with everyone, we all have a good laugh and don't get too hyped up about anything.
“We know what has to be done, we just go out and try our hardest.”
Horgan admitted earlier this year “your head would be fried” if you listened to all the criticism the Cork hurlers shipped in the wake of disappointing 2015 and 2016 campaigns.
Patrick Horgan
He was always adamant they still had the quality to challenge for silverware, and their upsurge in fortune has proven him right.
“Yeah, as I say all the time in any Cork dressing-room there's going to be really good hurlers,” said Horgan.
“I think we showed today that and we showed in the last two games that we have a really good side.
“We've won a great Munster Championship, beat three really good sides. I suppose no-one gave us any chance but it doesn't matter who gives you a chance as long as the fellas in the dressing-room believe.
“There's been a strong belief in the group from early in the year that we could compete and every day we go out we're determined to get better and every training we go out we're determined to get better and I think that's basically the way we go about it.
“We're a relaxed bunch, we don't really get hot and bothered about anything. Session to session I think we got better and better and the performance on the field there today showed how far we have come.
“It was a great performance, but I think there's more in us. There were things we could have done better today, even. But we'll worry about that next week.
“We can definitely be better. There's no point going out the next day if we can't. That's the way we look at it. We'll see where we go.”
Horgan will cherish this Munster Championship medal, but the 29-year-old makes no bones about the fact that he’s driven to finally get his hands on a Celtic Cross.
“Yeah, yeah, it's obviously everyone's dream to get one of them,” he said.
“But that's still in the distance at the moment. We've club Championship next week and training the Tuesday after.
“Next week I'm playing with the Glen and that's all I'm focused on. Right now, I'm just going to enjoy tonight.
“Tomorrow I'll wake up and all that'll be on my mind is how I'll prepare for next week.”
