🔴 John Cleary Stays On: Two More Years at the Helm for Cork Boss
John Cleary will remain in charge of the Cork senior footballers for at least two more seasons after receiving unanimous backing from the county board on Tuesday night.
The Castlehaven man has been handed a two-year extension following the end of his initial three-year term, which concluded with Cork’s exit from the 2025 All-Ireland Championship at the hands of Dublin in June.
Cleary originally stepped in on an interim basis in 2022, taking over from Keith Ricken. He was soon confirmed as full-time manager and has since overseen steady progress — including back-to-back appearances in the All-Ireland quarter-final series.
⚔️ Narrow Exits, But Signs of Progress
While Cork’s 2024 and 2025 seasons both ended at the preliminary quarter-final stage, they showed promising signs — notably leading Dublin at half-time this summer before the All-Ireland champions pulled away after the break.
In 2024, the Rebels suffered a surprise defeat to Louth, while 2023 saw them reach the last eight before losing to Derry. Cleary’s tenure has brought consistency, but expectations are rising among Cork supporters looking for a return to former glories.
📈 Eyes on Division 1 Return
Promotion from Division 2 will be top of Cleary’s to-do list in 2026. Cork have flirted with a return to Division 1 in recent years but have lacked the consistency to seal the deal. That will need to change if they are to challenge the country’s elite more regularly.
There’s added motivation now too: under a new Munster Championship seeding system, the top two finishers in the previous year’s Allianz Football League are kept apart in the provincial draw. That means Cork and Kerry — the two most decorated counties in Munster — will avoid each other until a potential final, provided both live up to expectations.
- Kerry: Division 1 champions in 2025
- Cork: Finished 5th in Division 2
- Clare: 3rd in Division 3 — next best Munster side
🎯 Cleary’s Mission
Now entering his fourth full season, Cleary will aim to bridge the gap between Cork and the country’s top-tier sides. With a talented group emerging and some major underage success in recent years, Rebels supporters will hope the foundations are now in place for a long-overdue breakthrough.
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