Horgan still has no idea why Cork homecoming was cancelled after ‘player decision’ controversy

The fall-out from Cork's All-Ireland defeat has serious legs...

Horgan, now retired after a Cork hurling career stretching back to 2008, will now pivot to coaching having become a Cork U20 selector.

After their collapse against Tipperary at Croke Park in the summer, the Cork Board said on the Monday after the match that the decision not to stage a public event had been taken “at the request of the team and management”. 

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However. exiting head coach Pat Ryan, in an interview with the Irish Examiner, disputed this in August, saying the decision had nothing to do with the players and was made prior to the All-Ireland final.

Ryan says that he and Cork’s board had decided that a homecoming would take place if they won, and would not take place if they lost.

Horgan, speaking to SportsJOE, said he still to this day doesn’t know why the homecoming was cancelled, and praised Cork’s “savage” fans, insisting they would support the side anywhere.

I had no idea we were having or not having one. I think it was the Monday we found out it wasn’t going to happen, and to be honest with you, I still don’t know the reason there wasn’t one.

“Whether I believe there should have been one or not? I don’t know. We had one the season before (after 2024 All-Ireland defeat) and there was no problem, we have a savage following who would have followed us just about anywhere, maybe they deserved to be down the Parc to show.

“But we knew nothing about it and we still don’t know why it didn’t happen.”

Patrick Horgan spoke with us with thanks to AIB, proud supporter of the GOAL Mile. Take part in the GOAL mile this Christmas.