Civic Reception on Wednesday 26th October 2005 to honour the Cork Senior Hurling Team on winning the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2005.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Clune and Mr. Clune with members of the Cork County Board and members of the Cork Senior Hurling Team at a civic reception on Wednesday 26th of October in City Hall to honour the Team's All-Ireland Hurling Championship Victory.

Back Row L to R - Joe O'Leary, Joe Deane, Kieran Murphy, Fred Sheedy, Ger Cunningham, Patsy Morrissey, Donal Og Cusack, Graham Callinan, Shane O'Neill, Chris O'Donovan.

Front Row L to R - Pearse Murphy, Frank Murphy, Mr. Clune, The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Clune, Jim Forbes, John Allen, John Gardiner

Speech by Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Clune

Comhairleoirí, Aoinna speisíalta, buathóirí Corn mhic Carthaigh, a dhaoine uaisle, Fáilte anocht chuig seomra an Chomhairle, Halla na Cathrach anocht chun omós a thabhairt do fhoireann iomána Chorcaí 2005.

Distinguished guests, councillors, victorious hurlers, ladies and gentlemen, you are all very welcome here this evening to the civic reception to honour the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions of 2005. If victory is habit forming, then I am glad to see that Cork teams and Cork players are developing that habit in recent years.

Fresh on the heels of the All-Ireland victory in 2004 over the other aristocrats of hurling, Kilkenny, this year’s panel have proven it was no fluke by repeating the performance this year against Galway in bringing the McCarthy Cup back to Leeside once again. John Allen as manager, in his own quiet way, repeated the feat of his predecessor Dónal O’ Grady with humility, care and unfailing belief in his players, selectors and backroom team.

Anyone who has been involved in sport will tell you that the performance on the day of victory is only the culmination of all that has gone before. It is in the long nights and days, training and playing in all kinds of inclement weather when it would have been easier to stay indoors in the company of friends and family, that success is forged. The sacrifice of all the players on the panel, their coach, support staff and more importantly the families who supported them, suffering their absence to ensure we could salute them in the time of victory ensured this year’s victory once again for Cork.

You will hear all manner of talk about the teams of yesteryear, how some of the players of today weren’t fit to tie the boots of some of the greats of years gone by. We can no more compare past with present players and teams than we can compare house or car prices today with those of 30, 40 or 50 years ago. They were of their time and they were doubtless peerless in their time but the heroes of today, O’ Halpín, Gardiner, the O’ Connor brothers and all of you here this evening who brought such pride to the “Blood and Bandage” will be the Jack Lynch, Jimmy Barry-Murphy and the Christy Ring of our children’s and grandchildren’s generation, spoken of in the same revered tones with the same sense of awe and fond memory.

We have invited you here this evening to officially honour you all for the effort, skill and dedication you have shown in winning this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling final. Though the path to victory was sometimes hard fought and victory all the sweeter for that, I am reminded of the story of another great sportsman who hit a ball with a stick on the subject of luck.

Gary Player, The South African golfer was at the height of his powers in the early 70s having won a number of prestigious international tournaments in succession. A junior reporter interviewing Gary mentioned in passing how lucky Gary had been in a number of those tournaments, with improbable shots falling just right at crucial times. With a comedian’s timing Gary responded, witheringly “Funny thing that, I find the more I practice… the luckier I get.”

So it is with All-Ireland winners. You make your own luck. Nothing can or should be taken for granted by the hurlers on the ditch. You have brought pride to your parish, your clubs and your county and deserve the praise and thanks you receive.

On behalf of the City Council and the citizens of Cork City and County congratulations and thank you all.

Go raibh maith agaibh.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Clune.

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