Patrick Horgan ready to embrace new Cork role
Pictured is former Cork hurler, Patrick Horgan who has teamed up with AIB to support the GOAL Mile. As part the campaign AIB is offering individuals who register for the GOAL Mile the chance to win up to €7,000 for their Gaelic Games club. To win, people need to register for their GOAL Mile and then enter the AIB GAA GOAL Mile competition at https://goalmile.org/aibgaacompetition
By Cian O'Connell
Inter-county hurling will still be on the agenda for Patrick Horgan in 2026.
Recently retired from senior action, Horgan will act as a selector in Noel Furlong's Cork U20 set-up next year.
Glen Rovers clubman Horgan is relishing the new role. "I haven't started yet so it's interesting and it's something I'm looking forward to," Horgan says.
"It obviously happened very quickly after finishing playing, but I suppose if there was any jump into this side of things that I was going to be making this would probably be the best option because all these players are looking to play at a higher level than even this, and play for Cork.
"If I can help them along the way in any way at all that would be great."
Imparting knowledge and assisting others is precisely what Horgan intends to do. "Yeah, and a lot of the time it'll come from any player, what they feel they need and what they need to work on and at that level they'll all understand that themselves," Horgan responds.
"If I can just be there in any way, as you say to help along the way, I'd be too happy to."
Will it be strange not to be returning to Cork senior training in the coming weeks? "No, it's gone," Horgan responds. "There's nothing to miss this time of the year anyway because it's run 'til you drop so I won't miss that.
"I'll go out to the alley and all that kind of stuff still myself. I enjoy that. That's something I like to do, just go out to the alley and have a bit of competition up there.
Cork's Patrick Horgan in action during the 2025 All-Ireland SHC Final. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
"That'll be the only training I do probably this Christmas anyway myself."
Horgan hasn't reflected too much on the 2025 campaign with Cork and the Glen. "I haven't," Horgan says.
"I try not to think about the end of the season with Cork at all actually, I don't think about it. Then with the club, we were beaten in the quarter-final badly as well. We were in a good position to win the game I suppose, so that was kind of hard as well to take.
"So yeah, the break from actually playing out for the last couple of months at this stage has been good because there was a few too many downers there. I'll just put the hurley away for another couple of weeks maybe, start maybe next week again myself and go from there."
Since retiring from Cork playing duty, Horgan has received good wishes, and the respect from hurling enthusiasts runs deep. "I suppose it's a nice thing," Horgan remarks.
"It's just something along the way that you wouldn't kind of really be thinking about or looking at, or acknowledging because I suppose players are so focused on what's next, what do I do now, what's the schedule like, what's the recovery after, what are we going away for this weekend or that weekend, keep training.
"It's very hard to like see yourself as anything other than someone, and just the same as any other guys on the panel trying to get better. I think if you lose that at all you're a sitting duck.
"You have to be kinda hungry all the time to progress or you'll be left behind by other players around you in a very competitive environment.
"It's hard to step out and see what people thought of you. To be honest, I never cared whether it was good or bad. I just tried to focus on my hurling and how I could be the best at that."
