Say goodbye to that famous red jersey, for one day at least.
To commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising, the Cork hurlers will abandon their traditional colours for the 12th March Allianz League meeting with Kilkenny in Páirc Uí Rinn.
For one game only Patrick Horgan, Conor Lehane and Co. will sport a blue jersey with a large yellow letter C on the front.
These were the colours worn at the time of the 1916 Rising and, as Michael Moynihan in the Irish Examiner explains, Cork would likely still be wearing the dark blue jerseys if it weren’t for the British forces that Pádraig Pearse and the rest of the insurgents were rebelling against.
Ahead of a 1919 Munster Championship match with Tipperary the jerseys were stolen from the county board offices by Crown forces, forcing the Cork team to borrow a set of jerseys from the Father O’Leary Total Abstinence Hall side, who had amalgamated with St Finbarr’s.
From there on out Cork wore the red and white of Total Abstinence Hall, eventually jettisoning the “TA” on the front of the jersey.
Anyone who has witnessed the pubs of Thurles on Munster final Sunday would agree that total abstinence is not the most fitting jersey adornment.
Alas, O’Neills are not expected to make the jersey available for sale.
