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| Sport: | Football | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish: | Corcaigh | ||
| Nickname(s): | The Rebels The Leesiders | ||
| County board: | Cork GAA | ||
| Manager: | John Cleary | ||
| Captain: | Brian Hurley | ||
| Home venue(s): | Páirc Uí Chaoimh,Cork Páirc Uí Rinn,Cork | ||
| Recent competitive record | |||
| Current All-Ireland status: | PQF in2025 | ||
| Last championship title: | 2010 | ||
| Current NFL Division: | 2 (5th in2025) | ||
| Last league title: | 2012 | ||
| |||
TheCork county football team representsCork in men'sGaelic football and is governed byCork GAA, thecounty board of theGaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; theAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship, theMunster Senior Football Championship and theNational Football League.
Cork's home ground isPáirc Uí Chaoimh,Cork. The current manager isJohn Cleary.
Cork was the thirdMunster county both to win anAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC), as well as to appear in the final, followingLimerick andTipperary. The team last won the Munster Senior Championship in2012, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in2010 and the National League in2012.
Football has always been seen as the weaker of the two sports in Cork. The game is strongest in the west of the county and in Cork city. Success, especially at senior level, has been much more sporadic that with hurling. The biggest hindrance to success has been the presence of next-door neighboursKerry. Cork has been the second strongest county in Munster since the 1940s and often one of the best in the country. Many very good Cork teams were unable to overcome Kerry when they met in theMunster final. Cork began the 1970s with three Munster titles in 4 years and the 1973All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. But they then ran up against the great Kerry team of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1976, the two teams drew in the final of theMunster Senior Football Championship. The replay went to extra-time before two very controversial refereeing decisions saw Kerry victorious. Cork fell back after that for a number of years.
In 1983 Kerry was aiming to capture a record ninth consecutive Munster title; however, Cork pulled off one of their surprise victories. Kerry, however, won the next three Munster and All-Ireland titles. In 1987Billy Morgan was back with Cork, this time as manager. That year Cork reclaimed the Munster Championship crown from the Kingdom. It was the first of four Munster titles in-a-row. They reached the All-Ireland final that year only to be defeated byMeath. In 1988 Cork were defeated by Meath for the second consecutive year after a replay. Having lost the previous two All-Ireland finals Cork were even hungrier for achievement in 1989. That year they captured theNational Football League before facingMayo in the championship decider. The game ended in victory for Cork who claimed their fifth-ever All-Ireland title. In 1990 Cork squared up to Meath in the All-Ireland final for the third time in four years. In a close game, Cork emerged victorious by two points to claim a second consecutive championship.
Cork surrendered their provincial title for the next two years, however, they reclaimed it in 1993. That year they reached another All-Ireland final; however, it wasDerry who won their first All-Ireland title on that occasion. Cork won the next two Munster titles as well; however, they were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final on both those occasions. The defeat in 1995 brought an end to one of Cork's greatest-ever periods in football history. Four years later in 1999 Cork won the Munster title for the fifth time of the decade. They later faced old rivals, Meath, in the All-Ireland final; however, victory went to the Leinster men on that occasion.
While it was expected that the team would build on the success of 1999, Cork went into decline as Kerry began to dominate in Munster. In 2002 Cork triumphed again and captured the Munster title after a victory overTipperary in a replay. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Cork take on Kerry. It was a historic occasion as it was the first time that the two sides had met inCroke Park. Unfortunately, Cork was trounced on a scoreline of 3–19 to 2–7. The year ended with the Cork hurling team going on strike. In turn, the football team joined in a sympathy strike. The players, who had been seeking better conditions, refused to play or train with the county again until the dispute with the county board was resolved. The player's demands included having their own doctor at all Championship and League games, resolving disputes over travel arrangements and providing players with free gymnasium access. The strike was eventually resolved and all the demands were met.
Following the strike, the fortunes of the Cork football team took a turn for the worse. A series of defeats in 2003 and 2004 saw the Cork football team almost at an all-time low. In 2005 Cork narrowly lost the Munster final but qualified for the All-Ireland semi-final where Kerry was again waiting. The scoreline of 1–19 to 1–9 in favour of the men from the Kingdom tells its own story. In 2006 Cork won their first Munster title in four years following a defeat of Kerry. The two sides met again in the All-Ireland semi-final; however, in a similar pattern Kerry was victorious. In 2007 Cork lost their Munster crown to Kerry; however, they made use of the qualifiers and found themselves in the All-Ireland final. Kerry, the old rivals, provided the opposition in the first all-Munster All-Ireland final. The game started on a level pegging; however, Kerry ran riot and captured the title with a 3–13 to 1–9 victory. It was one of Cork's most humiliating defeats.
The Cork senior footballers and hurlers withdrew their services for almost 100 days from November 2007 until February 2008. For more on this see2007–2008 Cork players' strike. In spite of this, Cork reached the All-Ireland SFC semi-final where they lost to old rivals Kerry after a replay. Cork retained the Munster SFC title in 2009. The team advanced to the2009 All-Ireland SFC Final, overcoming2008 All-Ireland SFC championsTyrone along the way. Cork lost that game to Kerry by a scoreline of 1–9 to 0–16.
In April 2010, Cork won theNational Football League Division 1 title with a 1–17 to 0–12 win against Mayo atCroke Park, in front of a crowd of 27,005.[1]
On 19 September 2010, Cork won the All Ireland SFC football title, defeatingDown at Croke Park by a scoreline of 0–16 to 0–15. In April 2011, Cork retained theNational Football League after a 0-21 to 2-14 win againstDublin.[2]
In football,Kerry are undoubtedly Cork's biggest rivals as they meet year in year out in theMunster Senior Football Championship and recently in the All-Ireland series of games as well. Kerry are traditionally dominant, having won theMunster Championship over 75 times, while Cork have less than 40 titles. Kerry are similarly dominant in terms ofAll-Irelands won, topping the list with 39 titles as of their2025 win while Cork have had seven titles with their2010 triumph being the most recent.
The Cork footballers have also shared a rivalry withMeath in the past, though the intensity of this lowered during the 2010s as the two teams did not meet in the Championship for a number of years following the1999 All-Ireland Final. The teams did not meet again until2007, as the two counties met in the semi-final. Meath went into the match as favorites but Cork came out on top, setting up a final againstKerry.
Cork football support generally tends to be smaller compared to the support for the county's hurlers. However the Cork footballers enjoy the largest following in Munster. The Cork footballers possibly don't get the same level of support as their hurling counterparts because of their comparative lack of success. This is despite Cork being the fifth most successful football county in Ireland. Cork and Kerry well always draw 30,000 plus andFitzgerald Stadium inKillarney is often a favorite among rebel supporters. In 2009 large crowds attended games against,Limerick andTyrone, as well as the All-Ireland final against Kerry, to see a Cork team that were considered to be serious title contenders.
Roy Keane, the formerassociation football player, has attended Cork games.[3][4][5]
Adam Idah, another association football player, attended games when he was a boy.[6]
Team as per Cork vs Dublin in the All Ireland SFC Preliminary Quarter Final, 21 June 2025[10]
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team.
RET Player has since retired from the county team.
WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Cork — likeDublin,Kerry andTyrone — traditionally appoints managers from inside, rather than seeking a "foreign" appointment.[11]
| Name | Club | From | To | All-Ireland titles | Munster titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Morgan | Nemo Rangers | 1986 | 1996 | 1989, 1990 | 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995 |
| Larry Tompkins | Castlehaven | 1996 | 2003 | 1999, 2002 | |
| Billy Morgan | Nemo Rangers | 2003 | 2007 | 2006 | |
| Teddy Holland | Clonakilty | 2007[12] | 2008 | ||
| Conor Counihan | Aghada | 2008 | 2013 | 2010 | 2008, 2009, 2012 |
| Brian Cuthbert | Bishopstown | 2013 | 2015 | ||
| Peadar Healy | Naomh Abán | 2015 | 2017 | ||
| Ronan McCarthy | Douglas GAA | 2017 | 2021 | ||
| Keith Ricken | St Vincent's | 2021 | 2022 | ||
| John Cleary | Castlehaven | 2022 | Present |
1973:Billy Morgan
1989:Teddy McCarthy
1990:Shea Fahy
Goalkeeper:Billy Morgan
Full-backs:Paddy O'Driscoll,P. A. Murphy,Caleb Crone
Half-backs:Kevin Jer O'Sullivan,Tadhgo Crowley,Din Connors
Midfielders:Dick Harnedy,Éamonn Young
Half-forwards:Mick Tubridy,Declan Barron,Donal O'Sullivan
Full-forwards:Jimmy Barry-Murphy,Ray Cummins,Billy Mackesy
Goalkeeper:Billy Morgan
Full-backs:Paddy O'Driscoll,P. A. Murphy,Kevin Kehilly
Half-backs:Niall Cahalane,Tadhgo Crowley,Jimmy Kerrigan
Midfielders:Fachtna O'Donovan,Declan Barron
Half-forwards:Denis Kelleher,Larry Tompkins,Éamonn Young
Full-forwards:Jimmy Barry-Murphy,Ray Cummins,Dinny Allen
Cork launched a new jersey ahead of the 2019 season, featuring a different sleeve and without white stripes down the side.[13]
Cork launched a new jersey ahead of the 2021 season.[14]
Cork launched a new jersey ahead of the 2023 season, with a noticeably whiter sleeve.[15]
Cork was sponsored byO2 for 15 years. This arrangement ended on 31 December 2012.[16] In 2013, Chill Insurance announced it would sponsor Cork in a three-year deal.[17] Chill Insurance remained as sponsor for eight years until the end of 2020. Cork admitted in early 2021 that it had concluded a five-year deal withSports Direct in December 2020, following public reports ahead of the intended launch.[18][19][20] Following publication, it was subsequently confirmed that all negotiations were held with Sports Direct's Dublin-based marketing division, with no involvement from the British part of the company or fromMike Ashley, the billionaire owner ofan English association football club with links to the company.[21]
Every Munster and All-Ireland SFC result since2013, as of 27 June 2022.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | First Meeting | Last Meeting | Province |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Donegal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 2016 | Ulster | |
 Dublin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% | 2013 | 2022 | Leinster |
 Clare | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 2013 | 2015 | Munster |
| Kerry | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 13% | 2013 | 2022 | Munster |
 Kildare | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 2015 | Leinster | |
 Limerick | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 2013 | 2022 | Munster |
 Laois | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 2019 | Leinster | |
 Longford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 2016 | Leinster | |
 Louth | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 2022 | Leinster | |
 Mayo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | 2014 | 2017 | Connacht |
| Roscommon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 2019 | Connacht | |
| Tipperary | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 50% | 2014 | 2020 | Munster |
 Tyrone | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% | 2019 | Ulster | |
 Waterford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 2017 | Munster | |
| Sligo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2014 | 2014 | Connacht | |
| Galway | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2014 | 2014 | Connacht |
| Year | Competition | Home Team | Score | Visitors | Score | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Munster SFC | Semi-finals | |||||
| Final | |||||||
| All-Ireland Qualifiers | Round 4 | ||||||
| All-Ireland SFC | Group Stage | ||||||
| 2020 | Munster SFC | Semi-finals | |||||
| Final | |||||||
| 2021 | Munster SFC | Semi-finals | Cork | 0-11 | Kerry | 1-16 | Gaelic Grounds |
| Final | Kerry | 4-22 | Cork | 1-09 | Fitzgerald Stadium | ||
| 2022 | Munster SFC | Semi-finals | Cork | 0-11 | Kerry | 0-23 | Páirc Uí Rinn |
| All-Ireland Qualifiers | Round 1 | Cork | 2-12 | Louth | 2-08 | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | |
| Round 2 | Cork | 2-18 | Limerick | 1-16 | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | ||
| All-Ireland SFC | Quarter-Finals | Dublin | 0-21 | Cork | 0-10 | Croke Park | |
Winners (1):2009Winners (1):2020Winners (1):2019Winners (17): 1951, 1953, 1955, 1964, 1972, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013Winners (6): 1961 (Cork City), 1991, 1994, 2008, 2010, 2012Winners (37): 1890, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1897, 1899, 1901, 1906, 1907, 1911, 1916, 1928, 1943, 1945, 1949, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2008,2009,2012
Runners-up (54): 1889, 1892, 1898, 1903, 1909, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1935, 1938, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007,2011,2013,2014,2015,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021Winners (2): 1931–32, 1932–33Runners-up (1): 1934–35Winners (28): 1911, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013[22]Winners (26): 1963, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,[23][24] 2016[25]Runners-up (18): 1962, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022Winners (31): 1939, 1952, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2021, 2022Runners-up (33): 1932, 1933, 1935, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2019Speaking in the GAA venue today to RTÉ Sport, he said: 'I used to come here all the time and watch both Cork teams play hurling and football and it was really exciting times when we were kids'.
