Damien Cahalane a lucky charm for penalties in Limerick

While Munster SHC medals were not a strong currency in the Cork hurling squad before last Saturday, four of the had three to their name.

Along with Conor Lehane, Séamus Harnedy and Patrick Horgan, Damien Cahalane is now part of the quartet with four victories, adding to the titles of 2014, 2017 and 2018.

The St Finbarr’s hurler was drafted in following injuries to Niall O’Leary and Ger Millerick but he played a key role in helping the Rebels to a first provincial senior victory in seven years.

“Look, you just come in and you're asked to do a job and you try and do that, I suppose,” he said.

“I was confident coming in that you know you have the backing of your team-mates, your preparation has been right, physically feel good, so you're coming in, in a good kind of a mindset and a good headspace for the game, and just looking forward to days like these.

“It is unbelievable to come out, this is what you do it for, absolutely.

They are high-pressure situations, but you know if they weren't high-pressure situations, what would you be doing all the preparation and training for?”

While Cahalane didn’t take a penalty, he proved something of a lucky omen. At TUS Gaelic Grounds in the Munster Club SFC final at the end of 2023, he went in goal for the shootout when Castlehaven and Dingle couldn’t be separated after extra time, helping his club to victory.

“Yeah, to be fair, it was one of the Castlehaven lads texted me and he said, ‘Look, we've good memories in Gaelic Grounds and Munster finals,” he said.

“I didn't think it'd go to penalties now again. Weather's different, it was a brilliant day for it, a brilliant field, a flowing game and that.

“So we'll have a bit of time to go back and look back at it. Now you're looking back and you're in a bit of a daze like, but, yeah, it is a nice one to be fair.

UNBELIEVABLE

“Once the game kind of ends, you're kind of physically and mentally a bit spent but the lads that went out took on the responsibility of the penalties did unbelievable, every one of them to a man to go up there and have the nerve to do it.

“Pa [goalkeeper Patrick Collins] then, the way he made himself kind of so big inside the goal. It's great.

“It can be a lottery at times like, but, the boys, every single one of them, to a man to have the to have the balls to go up and do that is unreal and fair play to them.”

During the game itself, Cork's workrate was far better than in the 16-point loss to Limerick at the same venue three weeks previously.

"We needed to be and we knew we needed to be," Cahalane said, "because they're a machine of an outfit.

Physically, mentally, they're never off of it, physically they're so strong, their hurling is so sharp, their gameplan is so sharp.

"We knew coming up here that we needed to be on it and we needed it to be from the start because if we left any kind of 10- or 15-minute lull like we did the last time, you could find yourself in serious, serious bother.

"So yeah, fair play to lads they put the shoulder to the wheel early on and drove on."

Cahalane even got on the scoresheet, firing over a point from distance during the first half.

“It just opened up a bit, just saw nothing on inside, so look, I had a go,” he said. “Luckily, it went over, there was plenty other massive scores from fellas and massive contributions. That was just one moment, I suppose.”

All of the moments added up to the win, but almost immediately the focus is on improving for the All-Ireland semi-final.

“We'll come back and we'll analyse this game,” Cahalane said, “we'll analyse the Munster championship, try and take the learnings from it and try and push the boat out again.

“There's improvements there to be made, so we need to home in. If we stay at the same level all the time, you're going to be beaten some day again.”