It's not just the hurlers on Leeside that have had a winter to stew on an All-Ireland final heartache.
The Cork camogie panel will also start into 2026 looking to go one better than the bitter one-point defeat to Galway in a thrilling decider at Croke Park last August.
The women at least have the consolation of Celtic Crosses in the back pocket, with the Tribeswomen scuppering their three-in-a-row bid, but just like the soundbites from the Ben O’Connor and his charges, it’s a clean slate for 2026.
"As far as we are concerned, we have put it to bed now," Laura Hayes told RTÉ Sport at the launch of the 2026 Centra National Leagues. "We have pressed the reset button, and we are now looking forward.
"I went away travelling for a month, and then when you come back, you are refreshed and ready to go again."
The 2024 Player of the Year said that three-in-a-row talk never seeped into the camp, with Galway coming out the right side of a 1-14 to 1-13 scoreline.
"It was more other people saying it. For us, it was just about winning the final, and, unfortunately, we didn’t manage to do that," she said.
"Yet, you learn more from defeat. You build up a resilience, and you have that belief that you are so close."
Cork entered the championship last year with a league title and they begin their defence when they travel to Waterford in the newly-sponsored Centra National League.
This year's league will feature some new trial rules. Among them, no team shall be permitted to make a substitution during injury time in either half, while there will be increased penalties for dissent with only the captains allowed to speak to the referee to seek clarification about decisions.
Hayes argues against the notion that with changes in personnel, Cork are now a side in transition "the way we approach it is the next player up".
The Centra Camogie Leagues were launched today in Galway, with the competition set to feature some new trial rules #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/sF08GAh1NQ
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) February 9, 2026
She is adamant that the game overall is in a healthy place. There was a view held by some that camogie rules had not kept pace with the growing physicality and athleticism in the game, resulting in some games being free contests.
Hayes believes greater promotion of the game would highlight just how far the sport has travelled.
"There are some very competitive groups in the league and championship, and these matches will be well worth going to," she said.
"Camogie is in a good place. There’s more physicality. The game flows a lot more. More people need to see camogie. It just needs to be promoted more. As they say, if you can’t see it, you can’t be it."
