Mark Coleman hoping for positive Cork response
Pupils of Scoil Chroí Íosa, Blarney, during an interview session with former pupil of Scoil Chroí Íosa and Cork hurler Mark Coleman in advance of the launch of the 2026 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Click here to listen to the full interview with Cork senior hurler Mark Coleman.
By Cian O'Connell
A decade has passed quickly so Mark Coleman appreciates that these are exciting times for Cork hurling.
Losing the Munster SHC Final to Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh hurt, but the Blarney clubman is fully aware of the connection that exists between the Cork team and supporters.
Every Championship match is an occasion with significant crowds attending. The buzz, hope and expectation count for so much. "It's unreal," Coleman remarks.
"I've been around a good few years now so I've seen the other side. It's only when you look back on older games and you see terraces being empty, it really puts into perspective what we're experiencing at the moment, and the support.
"We're so fortunate and we're under no illusions that it's unbelievable support, and we're just grateful for that. Hopefully we can repay them."
Cork travel to FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday for an All-Ireland SHC Quarter-Final against Offaly.
The narrow Limerick loss was a setback, but Cork will refocus. "There wasn't much in it, there never is, to be fair," Coleman says about the provincial showpiece.
"It's disappointing to come out on the wrong side of it always, but it was a good game, and we're on to a new competition now. That's the focus now going forward.
"It's an intense championship where you don't really have time to rest on your laurels or be thinking about defeats or victories. It's just a matter of moving on to Offaly now. So, that's the full focus."
Responding to a setback is part and parcel of sport. "We've been fortunate enough to have good days, but we've had plenty of bad days along the way," Coleman says.
"I think we've always been good at reacting to those poor defeats, especially in 2024.
"We started off the Championship with two losses, but we were able to react and get good performances, and hopefully we can get another good performance."
