Offaly v Cork: Ethan Twomey’s resilience emblematic of Rebels’ strong response

In making the step up to the Cork senior squad for 2023, Ethan Twomey brought impeccable credentials.

An extended member of the squad that won the 2020 All-Ireland U20 title under Pat Ryan, he was a star of the 2021 vintage and then followed that with a series of superb displays as St Finbarr’s ended a 29-year wait for a county senior title in 2022.

Twomey made his championship debut amid the frenetic finale in TUS Gaelic Grounds as Cork lost to Limerick by a point last year, prematurely ending their campaign, while this year has seen him develop further.

Starting at midfield alongside Darragh Fitzgibbon in three of Cork’s games to date, Twomey has slotted in well but the 21-year-old admits that there is a sizeable jump to get to such a stage.

“It was a massive step-up, to be honest,” he says.

From senior club and U20, it’s a different ball-game. It’s probably a percent or two more in every facet of the game, really.

“The pace of the game is way faster and you have to be thinking clearly on the pitch and thinking ahead, getting around the pitch and making things happen. The physicality has gone through the roof in the last few years and that’s definitely something I’ve had to work on.

“It’s about getting used to that and adapting to it.”

What makes the emergence of Twomey – currently adapting professionally, on placement from UCC with Ernst & Young – as a starter all the more impressive is the fact that the Allianz Hurling League campaign was clouded in frustration due to injury but he did not let it get him down.

“I tore my hamstring before the league started,” he says. “I was back for the Kilkenny match and I came on, then I started against Waterford and tore my hamstring after five minutes.

It was about 35 minutes in total that I played during the league, so I was very frustrated alright.

“As a younger player, you want to play in the league as that’s where the experimenting will be for the championship. That’s where people put their hands up for places and when you’re missing out on that, it is difficult.

“The management are very good and training is very tough, so they base a lot on what happens in training. If you’re going well there, you’ll get the opportunity, they’re really good that way.

“It was obviously disappointing at the time but it’s just another hurdle you have to overcome and hopefully it’ll stand to you in the future then.”

Such an attitude was present in the squad as a whole coming off the back of 2023, when they narrowly avoided qualification for the All-Ireland series.

“The Munster championship is so tight and so competitive that it comes down to tiny margins,” Twomey says.

“In any match, a puck of a ball or a break here or there can define a game. We were unlucky last year, we drew with Tipp in a classic and then lost to Clare and Limerick by a point each, so any of them could have gone differently.

“Obviously, we were gutted to be out but we probably knew that we weren’t too far away either and that there was a good foundation there for this year and we could work on that.”

PRESSURE

When they lost to Waterford and then Clare to start 2024 on the back foot, the pressure was on but, again, the response has been strong.

“The first game against Waterford was disappointing,” Twomey says. “We definitely didn’t underestimate them as they have a quality team and they have multiple All-Stars.

“That was a massive battle and they were probably the better team on the day. Clare a week later, I thought that we played well for 50, 55 minutes and they caught us with a couple of goals.

“We weren’t far off them. We were disappointed to lose, but we knew we had put in a good performance and that helped us going into Limerick and Tipp. They were two crucial wins and there’s a good mood in the camp now at the moment.”

Offaly stand in the way, but Twomey and Cork are looking forward to it.

“You’ve the footballers going up as well, so it’ll be a big occasion,” he says.

Offaly are a very formidable side, they have some excellent forwards that are very exciting when they get the ball in their hand.

“They had a massive win in the Joe McDonagh Cup final against Laois and with the U20s as well, the county’s on a high.

“It’s up in their home ground as well, which is bound to be an advantage to them but we’re definitely looking forward to it. These are the days you live for.”