Cork hurler Sean O’Donoghue pictured at the launch of the Munster GAA Senior Hurling and Football Championship 2024 at Cahir Castle in Tipperary. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
How does someone end up playing as a senior inter-county hurling corner-back?
It’s hardly something the average hurling mad youngster aspires to be.
When they’re pucking a ball against a wall and lost in reverie it’s far more likely they’re dreaming of banging in goals for their county some day in the future.
So how does it happen? How do seriously talented hurlers who generally play further out the field for their clubs end up in arguably the most thankless and stressful of positions of all for their county?
Cork captain Sean O’Donoghue is probably typical of the species in so far as it happened him by accident.
His chosen career-path was as a midfielder and it was going well too when he was playing in the engine-room for UCC.
But then their full-back, Kevin Daly from Waterford, did his cruciate, and the UCC management figured that O’Donoghue was their best bet to fill the gap.
He probably did too well altogether in the position because he was called up by Cork on the strength of his performances with the College and ever since he’s been viewed as an out and out corner-back, rather than a frustrated midfielder.
Which begs the question…does he even enjoying playing at corner-back?
“That's a great question!”, says O’Donoghue with a smile. “I think I enjoy it when it's done and we've won and I've done a good job.
“I think you grow into a game as well and if you're starting to beat a fella you get a feeling in your head that you're wanting the ball to come in, there's no fear.
“I think no matter what, some fellas anyway, and I'd be one of them, I think your head can tell you that if you make a mistake here you're dust. I've gotten better at dealing with that now as well and just taking it play by play.”
There are some days though when it’s very difficult to have that mindset.
The 2022 Munster SHC clash against Limerick for example, when Cork did most of the hurling in the first half but were then hit with a sucker-punch goal just before half-time that still lives rent free in O’Donoghue’s head.
Aaron Gillane of Limerick races clear of Sean O’Donoghue of Cork during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 1 match between Cork and Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile.
He did brilliantly to win the ball ahead of Aaron Gillane and rather than then just take the easy option of driving it as far down the field as he could, raced forward with it himself and tried to play it through the lines which is the smart tactical play in the modern game.
But his attempted hand-pass was intercepted and the ball was immediately played in to Gillane who was now in splendid isolation and hammered the sliotar the back of the net.
“I suppose I felt like it was completely my fault really,” says O’Donoghue when asked how that moment felt.
“But, again, you just have to focus on the next ball. If Gillane tried to chase me out he wouldn't have been inside.
“So that's what I was telling myself, he was lazy then so he was able to get the goal. I suppose he's a goal-getter too, he knows where to stay. He's cute that way, he knows how to get goals.”
The problem with being a corner-back is that you’re held to higher standards than your team-mates because you operate in a less forgiving area of a pitch.
If a wing-forward or a midfielder loses the ball or misses a tackle and the play ends up with the sliotar in the net a few seconds later their mistake is rarely remembered.
But if a corner-back makes a mistake that leads to a goal then he’s pegged on a washing line and hung out to dry.
“Yeah, I think it's just part of it” says O’Donoghue. “As a corner-back if you beat your man and you destroy him you might not necessarily get man of the match. If you're a corner-forward you might get three points and get man of the match.
“I think that's just the way it is. At the end of the day what hurling is about is winning and you can't win without scoring. So I think as a corner-back you give up that chance. But, at the same time, I don't think I could do what they do either.
“The same way they mightn't be the same sort of...I don't know how to describe it really but they wouldn't be wanting to pull and drag and hold on to fellas and just kick balls and keep the ball out in front no matter what.
“The same as them not wanting to do that I wouldn't be able to go out and take a touch when there's a fella up my arse or whatever.”
Sean O'Donoghue of Cork in action against Aaron Gillane of Limerick during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 5 match between Limerick and Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile.
Playing at corner-back is as mental game as much as a physical one and self-doubt is the enemy.
There’s always the chance that if you sprint full pelt on to an oncoming ball you could miss it and leave your man in behind you for an easy goal.
But if you don’t roll the dice and instead play it safe, you’ll die a death of a thousand cuts because such is the quality of inside-forwards in the modern game now that they’ll make you pay if they’re allowed to get to that ball ahead of you.
So, backing yourself is something a corner-back must always do, and O’Donoghue works hard at it.
“I suppose I look at the fella I'm marking and realistically I've marked someone who's stronger than him, someone who is faster than him, someone who is a better hurler than him at training,” he says.
“I'm starting to have that mentality now heading into a game. Heading into the Wexford game the last day I was thinking no matter who I'm marking today at training I've marked someone fitter, someone faster, someone stronger. That gives me a bit of comfort that I can deal with whoever I'll be marking.
“I wouldn't like to focus too much on what fellas are very good at or very poor at because I feel that you can get caught up in it and I think as a corner-back if you're playing your own game you can have him mark you rather than you mark him.
“I think it's just a case of no matter who you're marking you just try to be out in front and try to beat him to the first couple of balls and make him fear you a bit.”
Making the opposition fear them rather than worrying too much about the opposition is a collective mindset for this Cork team going into the 2024 Munster Hurling Championship.
The Cork squad before the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A match between Clare and Cork at Cusack Park in Ennis, Clare. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile.
A confident Cork hurling team is always a dangerous one, and O’Donoghue is bullish about their championship credentials this year if they can make one key mental tweak to their game.
“To be honest, I might be biased, but I don’t see a better panel of players in the country,” he says.
“Obviously, other teams have certain things – Limerick have Gillane and that bit of cuteness and every team has brilliant players.
“I just think what we’re missing is that bit of concentration, just to stay in games. In the past few years, if we’ve had a bad spell for five minutes, we might concede five points, whereas other teams, if they have a bad spell for ten minutes, they might concede two points.
“It’s just about keeping that concentration, even when you’re going through a bad time.
“In every game, you’re going to be on top of a team and a team’s going to be on top of us. I suppose it’s how we can deal with that, how much we can put away when we’re on top of a team and how much we can stop them scoring when they’re on top.
“I think if we can nail that concentration so that we’re in the game, focused on the game, for 70-plus minutes, it’ll go a long way.”