Breaking: Pat Ryan To Step Down As Cork Hurling Manager After All-Ireland Final Defeat

There's huge news in Cork GAA today as Pat Ryan has confirmed he will not seek another term as Cork hurling manager.

Pat Ryan lead the Rebels to their best season in two decades, winning both the League and the Munster title.

However, Cork surrendered a six-point halftime lead to Tipperary in the All-Ireland final, as they fell at the final hurdle in the second consecutive year.

It's now over twenty years since Cork won Liam MacCarthy.

Ryan is a hugely-admired figure in Cork, and showed great personal resilience this year following the passing of his brother earlier this year.

The news was confirmed in a statement posted via his club Sarsfields on Saturday morning.

It reads:

"The last three years has been a pleasure to be part of a wonderful journey with the Cork senior hurling team"

"I was humbled on Friday to be asked by Cork GAA to lead the group again for a new term but after consultation with my family, I feel now it is best for me to seek a different challenge after five years of managing Cork teams.

"In this five years, the support I have received from a wonderful loyal and trustworthy management and backroom team has made my job very easy.

"To Wayne [Sherlock], Donal [O'Mahony], Brendan [Coleman], Fergal [Condon] and our wonderful coach Donal O’Rourke, thank you for all your hard work on behalf of Cork GAA.

"To the rest of the backroom team, a great word of thanks to everyone but to Ian [Jones], Dave [Nolan], Declan [Fitzgerald] and Tomás [Manning], thanks for your unwavering friendship and counsel.

"There has been plenty of highs and plenty of lows but the joy that Cork hurling brings to your life is amazing.

"The greatest gift as a manager is having a team of players dedicated to sacrificing themselves for the jersey and I had that in abundance - success isn’t linear but I know that with the character of players we have and the talent that is coming over the next few years through the hard work of our clubs that the long absence of Liam MacCarthy from Leeside will not last much longer.

Pat Ryan continued in his statement:

"To Rob [Downey] and Seán [O'Donoghue], thanks for captaining our team over the three years with outstanding leadership and performances.

"I would like to thank all the chairpersons I have worked under the past 5 years - Tracey Kennedy, Marc Sheehan and, most recently, Pat Horgan for showing faith in me.

"Kevin O’Donovan, Cork CEO, and Daniel Lane, Cork GAA, have been great supporters and no request or ask was ever an issue in the strive for excellence for the cork hurlers.

"To my club Sarsfields, thank you for the wonderful support over the last few years and I look forward to being back in what ever capacity needed in Teddy McCarthy Park.