Cork hurlers appoint Cian O’Neill as Nnew head coach

What Cian O'Neill brings to the Cork hurlers

The Kildare man, who is based in Cork, joins Ben O'Connor's management having left the Kerry football coaching staff following their All-Ireland defeat to Mayo.

It is a genuine code switch. O'Neill was last involved with a hurling squad in 2011, when he was strength and conditioning coach with Tipperary, a year after they lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2010.

He does have a Cork hurling connection, though: he worked with Newtownshandrum, O'Connor's home club, helping them win the 2009 Munster Club Championship before they lost the All-Ireland final to Ballyhale Shamrocks, RTÉ Sport confirmed.

Few coaches in the country have a CV like it.

O'Neill managed his native Kildare for four seasons, has previously worked with the Cork footballers, and has been involved with four All-Ireland-winning sides, most recently Kerry in 2014 alongside Eamonn Fitzmaurice and again in 2025 under Jack O'Connor.

His appointment was first reported as a "dramatic code switch" by the Irish Independent.

The changes around him are substantial. Former star player Ronan Curran has stepped away as a selector, while performance coach Gerry Hussey will not be returning for 2027.

Cork lost the Munster final to Limerick by a single point before an 11-point defeat to Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park, and the message from the county board is clearly that the same approach will not do again.