Best wishes from Cork's mayors
With the All Ireland Hurling Final taking place this Sunday, we asked the Lord Mayor of Cork and the Mayor of the County of Cork for a message for the team.
Lord Mayor Cllr Dan Boyle said: “As Lord Mayor of Cork, and the first citizen, I want to wish Pat Ryan, his background staff, and of course the team all the best for the upcoming All-Ireland final.
Over the course of this year’s Championship, the grit, courage, determination and skill shown by the squad has been nothing short of inspiring.
The team has given the city an incredible boost, and seeing the amount of bunting, flags, and red covering the city only highlights what it means to the people of Cork. Hurling is part of the fabric of our city and county – we have an incredibly deep GAA history.
Part of what sport does best is bring us together and this Cork team have undoubtedly delivered on that premise. There is a renewed sense of unity and pride across the city and long may it continue.
This Sunday all Corkonians will be united in their support of the team and we are all confident they can bring the Liam MacCarthy Cup back to its spiritual home on Leeside.”
Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Joe Carroll said:
“Hurling is one of the greatest games in the world. It is the sport of legends, has been played here for centuries and remains one of the most skillful games on earth. It is a spectacular game to watch and to be in the crowd for an All-Ireland Final at Croke Park is something special; you feel like you are a part of history.
The best years for me are the ones where we are going to Croke Park with the Cork senior hurlers. The first All-Ireland final I attended was in 1972 and I’ve been to many winning ones since then. We always knew the Cork hurlers would be in with a great chance and they gave it their all.
The entire county of Cork is behind Pat Ryan and his extraordinary team. The players’ drive and determination to win is incredible which means we’re in for a mighty game on Sunday. They have done us proud all season.
We wish them the very best of luck against Clare. It has been 19 years since the Liam McCarthy, named after a Ballygarvan man, was in Cork hands. I am confident that this team will be bringing the Liam McCarthy Cup back home once again.”