Rob Downey hoping to end Cork’s league title drought at Páirc Uí Chaoimh

For Rob Downey, the ending is almost too perfect to visualise; hoisting a national title down the Páirc to the acclaim of a red and white sea below, swaying in celebration.

It is 45 years since Dermot MacCurtain captained Cork to National League glory at Páirc Uí Chaoimh when the Rebels beat Limerick after a replay on Leeside in May 1980.

And while Cork have won a Munster championship final at the venue as recently as 2014, no senior hurling team from the county has won a national title at Páirc Uí Chaoimh since 1980.

“It would be lovely, lifting a cup in front of your own people would be lovely,” says Downey, the Cork captain.

For once hoping the championship will produce good football doesn’t make you a prize idiot

Familiar foes: Cork veteran recalls Rebels defeat to Tipperary in 1960 league decider

All-Ireland winning Tipperary captain Matt Hassett dies aged 93

“I think for us, though, you don’t even allow those thoughts to enter your head because the training sessions and things leading up to it are the really important things.”

For many supporters, tickets have been among the most important thing in relation to Sunday’s Division 1A final between Cork and Tipperary. Such was the demand, the game sold out in less than 24 hours.

The Division 1B final between Waterford and Offaly will be the curtain-raiser on Sunday, but in hindsight it might have been better for the GAA to arrange both as stand-alone fixtures.

Still, the prospect of playing in front of a 45,000 full house has added to the excitement and anticipation in both camps.

“The tickets went very fast, it’s brilliant. It’s great to have that much interest in a game and it creates a great buzz too for the players of both teams to be coming down to a great stadium and a full stadium too,” adds Downey.

“That’s what you go training for, to play the games on those big days, it’s brilliant.”

Cork only lost one match during the league’s group stages – against Tipperary – and they really appeared to hit form in recent outings. Pat Ryan’s side scored 10 goals in their last two games as they recorded impressive wins over Clare and Galway.

The Rebels have shown plenty of desire and character so far this term, with no obvious signs of a hangover from last year’s All-Ireland final defeat to Clare.

“No, I think if anything last year gave us an awful lot of confidence with the run we got on. I think that gave guys a good focus to drive on when we did get back training,” says the Glen Rovers clubman.

Cork captain Robert Downey with the AHL Division 1A trophy ahead of Sunday's final against Tipperary. 'All in all we’re in the final now and we can look back at it and say it’s been positive.' Photograph: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

“We’ve done that so I don’t think there’s been any issue there really and guys were just mad to get going. Overall, the league has been probably mixed, we’ve had a few good performances and a few patchy performances. But I think that’s probably to be expected with the league, you’re starting off again and you’re blooding new guys.

“All in all we’re in the final now and we can look back at it and say it’s been positive.”

Downey was one of Cork’s standout players last season and finished the year as the 2024 All-Star centre back. The talented defender scored one of the greatest All-Ireland final goals of all time in last July’s decider, but it’s not a game he has spent the winter poring over.

“I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t watched the match back and I have no intentions of watching it back either,” he says.

“It’s hard really, you’re gutted and you’re devastated afterwards. For me anyway, I just went back with my club as fast as I could. I didn’t really want any hanging around or anything like that.”

Last month Patrick Horgan outlined why he believes this is the strongest Cork panel he has ever been involved with during his long career in the blood and bandages.

Downey, whose brother Eoin also won an All Star for his performances last season, also feels there is significant depth to the current Cork squad.

“I’m there since 2019 and, yeah, I’d probably agree with him [Patrick] in fairness. I think it comes off the back of a couple of minor wins and a couple of under-20 wins as well.

“Then you mix that with the guys who are already there and I think the panel is definitely the strongest since I was there as well. So, I’d agree with him on that.”

Cork’s last league triumph was in 1998, so for 25-year-old Downey the title has never resided on Leeside during his lifetime.

“As a player you want to win everything. So, definitely it’s something that we’d love. Like I say, you want to win everything. But I suppose Cork not winning a league in my lifetime has never really entered my head to be honest. It’s not something that we really think of.

“All our focus is just on the training leading into the Tipp game and we’ll see where we go after that then.

“Tipp are probably the form team in the league, in fairness to them. They’ve been exceptional in every game, they’re probably after blooding a couple of young fellas, like ourselves.

“Tipperary are Tipperary, they’re always going to be strong no matter what people might say about them. When you play Tipperary, especially with Cork, those games seem to take on a life of their own. I’ve been very impressed with them and I’m sure there won’t be an inch given next Sunday.”