Munster hurling final / Newtownshandrum v Ballygunner: Waterford manager Justin McCarthy talks to Seán Moran about the urban/rural divide in Cork hurling

Although Newtownshandrum go into tomorrow's AIB Munster hurling final against Ballygunner as favourites to win a second title in three years their strength frames a fearful symmetry for Cork hurling.

In the first 18 years of the All-Ireland club championship, teams from the county won eight titles, including a staggering seven in the 1970s. In the 18 years since Midleton's success in 1988 the only All-Ireland to make its way back to Cork was that of two years ago, won by Newtownshandrum.

During the first 18-year period the provincial tally was 12; since then, just one.

The hegemony of the 1970s was based on city clubs, with the silverware divided among Blackrock, Glen Rovers and St Finbarr's. That urban power centre was integral to the success of the clubs.

Justin McCarthy manages Waterford but has been associated with hurling in his own county of Cork since the 1960s, when he was such an influential figure as a player. He believes the decline of Cork clubs as a force in the provincial and All-Ireland championships is inextricably linked to the fortunes of the city teams.

"The three big city clubs in those days always had a sprinkling of outside players, sometimes as many as four or five, who came to the city to work and played with local clubs. The big clubs attracted a lot of those because they were fashionable. But as time moved on and work situations changed those players began to travel back to their own clubs in north Cork, west Cork or east Cork.

"As a result city teams weren't as strong as they had been and the fear they used inspire in country teams went. Midleton, I suppose, broke the mould but they were followed by teams like Avondhu, Carbery and of course Newtownshandrum."

The mystique of the city clubs was built on their traditions, which both intimidated others and attracted players from around the county and farther afield. For instance, Kilkenny's Frank Cummins was a stalwart of the Blackrock team of the 1970s, reckoned by many to be the best club side since the All-Ireland championship officially began 35 years ago.

The gradual ebbing of this migrant talent, as players drifted back to home clubs, spread resources more evenly around the county.

The rise of the rural clubs in Cork meant that not only were the urban powerhouses weakened but the new contenders didn't always have the resources or the desire to pursue success at provincial and national level.

To anyone regularly following the club championships this phenomenon will be familiar: sides winning a first or even a rare county title frequently pay little heed to what comes after. McCarthy says this had an effect in Cork.

"For some of the clubs, winning the county was the be-all and end-all. It was a big thing to win Cork and ambitions didn't go beyond that."

In more recent times a new dynamic has entered the relationship between the country and city clubs. Commuting and the demands of work have made inroads into the leisure habits of most city dwellers, not just in Cork, and the price of property often dictates that children have difficulty settling in the areas where they grew up. Then there is the question of competing attractions - or distractions - in an urban environment.

"Lifestyles and social habits changed," says McCarthy. "In the country the club was a centre for local people. That has continued but the link between city clubs and the community has weakened. One of the biggest things facing Ireland, never mind the GAA, is managing time.

"People in the country still have more time. They don't have it taken up by so many small things. That's a huge strength for those clubs when it comes to doing everyday things around the place, like marking pitches and putting up goalposts."

The achievements of Newtownshandrum extend beyond the trophies of two seasons ago. It's a tiny catchment relying on a parish whose population barely reaches four digits. Yet by freak of nature and assiduous cultivation a talented cohort of hurlers have earned success right through the age groups up to senior.

Moreover the team's style, the antithesis of traditional Cork hurling, has had a profound effect on the county team, providing the template of the running, possession game that broke Kilkenny's grip on the MacCarthy Cup in 2004.

"The thing about Newtownshandrum," says McCarthy, "is that they kept together a very good team of players but more than that they have such a huge interest in the game. People like Bernie O'Connor (current manager and father of the twin All Stars Ben and Jerry) have shown what can be done if you have the interest and the passion for the game."

Chasing another All-Ireland, Newtownshandrum know that they are slowly rolling back the last barrier for Cork's rural clubs, that of national domination.