Cork have named a 36-man senior hurling panel for the upcoming Allianz Hurling League, with the reigning champions set to begin the defence of their title against Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Sunday.
Manager Ben O’Connor has included Kanturk duo Brian O’Sullivan and Alan Walsh in his squad, both of whom impressed at club level recently.
Blarney’s Pádraig Power has also been named as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, with his inclusion a positive boost which indicates he is nearing a return to full fitness.
There are several high-profile absentees from the 2025 panel. Legendary forward Patrick Horgan has retired, while Jack O’Connor, Conor Lehane, Luke Meade, Jack Cahalane, Darragh Flynn, Daniel Hogan and Robbie Cotter are also not involved.
County champions Sarsfields are currently without representation, as Cathal McCarthy remains sidelined after suffering an ACL injury last September.
The door on the Cork panel is far from closed
Speaking on Monday night, Ben O’Connor stressed that selection for the 36-man league panel is not final, and that any player left out remains firmly in contention for future involvement: “From day one, any fella that was asked in at the start, and we started with 47 and have it cut now, it’s an open policy.
“If a fella picks up an injury in three weeks’ time and he is injured for six weeks, well, there is a good chance he is not around for championship, so what is the point of having a fella inside?
“Every fella knows that we’ll be moving fellas on [if there is a] dip in form; you have to keep fellas on their toes, so all them fellas know there is a chance they could be called back in again. I think that is fair on everyone. Them fellas get a chance to get back in, and the fellas inside, if they are not performing, they’ll just have to step aside.”
New Cork captain will still be scrutinised as much as his Rebel team-mates
This year, Cork will be captained by Darragh Fitzgibbon, and looking ahead to the new season, O’Connor hinted that the new Cork captain’s experience helped him be awarded the captaincy, but he will still be scrutinised alongside his fellow Cork team-mates: “He’s been an All-Star for the last two years and he’s one of the more experienced fellas now at this stage. He’s 28 years of age and he’s in his prime. Any one of them could have been picked, but we just said we’d go with Darragh.
“We gave him the honour of it and that’s all it is – an honour. At the end of the day, what does he have to do? He has to go in and do the same as every other fella. He’ll be a bit more busy with [the media] and a few bits and pieces. But other than that, all he has to do is go in and perform.”
You can check out the Cork panel in full below
The Cork senior hurling panel for the 2026 Allianz Hurling League is announced pic.twitter.com/4ya7XbFJiX
— Cork GAA (@OfficialCorkGAA) January 20, 2026
