DJ Carey | Eugene Cloonan | Martin Comerford | Brendan Cummins
Ronan Curran | Gar Farragher | James 'cha' Fitzpatrick | Paul Flynn
John Gardiner | Niall Gilligan | Damian Hayes | Conal Keaney | Eoin Kelly
Eoin Larkin | Fergus McMahon | Andrew Mitchell | Pat Mulcahy
Sean Óg Ó Hailpin | Ben O'Connor | Joe Rabbite | Dan Shanahan
Henry Shefflin | Tommy Walsh

Last September, Pat Mulcahy finally tasted All-Ireland glory with Cork as the Rebels beat Galway to take the Liam McCarthy Cup south for the second year running. Now, after being awarded the Cork captaincy for 2006, he has the chance to lead his county to three-in-a-row.

But first things first. Pat's main priority is earning a second All-Ireland Club title for Newtownshandrum with a win against Portumna on St Patrick's Day. "It's a special feeling, it's amazing to play on such a big stage with the people you grew up with," he said.

These are happy times for the new captain, but the path to glory hasn't always been an easy one. In 1999 he missed out on Cork's All-Ireland success because of college commitments, and a broken wrist sustained in a car-accident ended his Championship in 2004. But the hard times made last year's success all the sweeter. Now, a Club title and lifting the Liam McCarthy in September would be the icing on the cake.

How did it feel to be made captain of the Cork hurling team?
The first thing to hit you is that it’s a huge honour to be Cork captain. It’s a difficult task to follow after Ben O'Connor and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín but I’m really looking forward to it.

What has been your greatest moment in hurling?
From a club perspective, it was winning the club hurling final with Newtownshandrum two years ago. With Cork, it was the All-Ireland final win against Galway last year.

Which is the toughest team you have faced?
The toughest team at inter-county level has to be Kilkenny, they always have very talented forwards. The toughest club team I faced is the Blackrock team of the late 90s, they were very difficult to beat.

And the toughest opponent?
The next one I face.

Is it difficult to balance your work with the demands of inter-county
and club hurling?
Luckily, the management of both Newtownshandrum and Cork are very fair with us so it's easy to play for both club and county. I work as a network analyst with Irish Life & Permanent and Permanent TSB at the Business Centre at Cork Airport. The people I work with have a great interest in hurling and are always supportive.

Who were your childhood sporting heroes?
I always thought Offaly centre back Pat Delaney was a superb hurler. Outside of hurling, I always admired Republic of Ireland footballer Paul McGrath.

What are your hopes for the future?
There are only two things on my mind at the moment. Winning the club hurling final with Newtownshandrum and success with Cork. I think a lot of the other teams have caught up with Cork so, after the club final, the first aim is to beat Clare in the first round of the Championship.

What advice would you give to young players coming through the ranks?
I'd tell them to have no regrets. There are a lot of distractions these days and it's tough to devote your life to hurling, which you have to, if you want to succeed at the highest level. But basically I'd say have no regrets and give it your best shot.

© March 2006


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