Niall O’Leary is a PE and history teacher in his day job at St Colman’s College. With Cork, he’s focused on creating “our own history”.
The record 19-year gap between Rebel All-Irelands has seemed a millstone around the county’s neck but the corner-back doesn’t think past events will play a role this Sunday against Clare.
“It’s something that we don’t really ever bring into the group,” says O’Leary.
“We’re at a stage where we want to carve our own path and create our own history. We want to do something that we’ll be remembered for.
“We’re not going to be remembered for what we did against Limerick. Hopefully, we can do something in the final that we will be remembered for.”
In training, O’Leary is often tasked with marking a true history-maker in Patrick Horgan. The Glen Rovers supremo requires three points to finish the season as the championship’s all-time top scorer.
“I think the man is getting faster as the years go on. He’s getting older but he’s getting faster and fitter. It’s ridiculous.
“He’s hitting top speeds at the moment and I don’t know how he’s doing it. I wish I’ll be like that when I’m his age.
“It’s his movement, it’s everything really. His ability to win the ball when it’s coming at him at speed is unbelievable.
“It’s great to have a fella like that in the camp that you can put yourself up against during the week.
“It gives you great confidence going into the weekend that you’re going to be marking a fella who probably isn’t as good as him.”
O’Leary has tended to occupy the job of following the floating forward, while Eoin Downey and Seán O’Donoghue stick with the two men closest to goal. It’s a role he finds more enjoyable than the alternative.
“Myself, Seán, and Eoin, there’d be a lot of fighting for who gets that role on matchday. It’s maybe seen as the easier role in the full-back line that you’re getting out of danger! You’re not in the last line of defence.
“I do get to enjoy it a bit more, you have a bit more freedom and a chance to get on a lot more ball. It’s easier maybe than being stuck inside on a man. But you have to be able to play anywhere when you’re playing inside there.
“I got caught to play inside there a couple of times this year, too. It all depends on the day, really.”
O’Leary follows selector Wayne Sherlock in avoiding excessive pre-match research into his assigned opponent.
“The more you watch a fella, the more you think he’s going to be very good,” O’Leary reckons. “I prefer to go in there more relaxed and see what happens on the day.”
While history will be put to one side, the experience of playing in the 2021 All-Ireland final will stand to Cork.
“Even on the parade around the field, a lot of us in the semi-final just kept the head down and stayed concentrating on what the task was ahead.
“In ‘21, a lot of fellas were doing a lot of looking around and maybe it created a lot of nerves on the day. We’ve definitely learned a lot since.”
An addition to their psychological approach has been Gary Keegan’s work as a high-performance coach.
“He’s brilliant,” raves O’Leary. “It’s great to have a fella like that on board who’s been at such a high level with the Irish rugby team.
“He’s done great work with us over the last couple of years. He’s a busy man. I suppose we don’t get to see him as regularly as we might want to but he’s always there on the phone.
“There are text messages coming in maybe once or twice a day from him about different things that we need to do.
“Since I started on the panel in 2019, I’ve definitely taken a lot from him on different aspects of my game. He has really helped.”
