Cork are through to their second successive Allianz Hurling League Division 1A final after a 6-26 to 0-20 mauling of Offaly at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Fourteen different players found the target for Ben O'Connor’s side as they set up a meeting with Limerick in the decider on Easter weekend.
The Rebels were relentless in front of a home crowd totaling 19,653, and they never once trailed against an Offaly team that were already relegated before throw-in.
The Faithful County are now looking at life in Division 1B and the opening round of the Leinster championship against Dublin on 18 April at Glenisk O’Connor Park.
The Rebels were focused on getting another win, their fifth of this year’s league, and Barry Walsh almost personally made sure of this by scoring two first-half goals. Brian Hayes hit 1-01 while Alan Connolly registered eight frees as Cork went into the break leading 3-10 to 0-07.
Offaly could only jog along against this; with Adam Screeney getting 0-03 and Brian Dunigan 0-02 against a red tide.
The flood barriers opened after the break as Cork went on to score 3-16 while the visitors registered 0-13.
O’Connor used this stretch to empty his bench by bringing on a host of substitutions throughout the second period of play. Blarney’s Padraig Power was one of those with the forward making his first appearance in a red jersey since a 2025 campaign that was cut short with a torn cruciate ligament.
Power joined a goal-hungry Cork group that restarted with Hayes and Darragh Fitzgibbon hitting the back of the net.
Tim O’Mahony also got in on the action by squeezing the sliotar in from the tightest of angles at the Blackrock End in the 49th minute.
It was relentless and Offaly just couldn’t cope with what Cork were offering in front of an energetic home crowd.
Brian Keating was later brought on and the Under-20 All-Ireland winner announced his arrival with a point from play in the 58th minute.
That was the kind of night it was. Everything Cork tried turned to gold, while Offaly plugged along by simply shooting when they got the sliotar.
The game was long over before the full-time whistle, as Cork fans now look towards their latest meeting with Limerick.
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O'Leary, Ciarán Joyce, Seán O’Donoghue; Eoin Downey (0-01), Robert Downey, Mark Coleman (0-03); Tim O’Mahony (1-00), Tommy O’Connell; Darragh Fitzgibbon (1-02, 0-01f), Shane Barrett (0-02); Hugh O’Connor (0-01); Barry Walsh (2-00), Alan Connolly (0-08, 0-08fs), Brian Hayes (2-01).
Subs: Willian Buckley (0-02) for Connolly (ht), Declan Dalton (0-02, 0-01f) for Walsh (ht), Padraig Power (0-02) for Fitzgibbon (53), Robbie O’Flynn (0-01) for Hayes (58), Brian Keating (0-01) for O’Mahony (58).
Offaly: Liam Hoare; Cathal King, Ben Conneely, Brecon Kavanagh (0-01); Ross Ravenhill (0-01), Killian Sampson, Donal Shirley; Eimhin Kelly, Dan Ravenhill (0-04); Ter Guinan, Daniel Bourke (0-02), Conor Doyle; Oisin Kelly, Brian Duignan (0-03), Adam Screeney (0-07, 0-04fs).
Subs: Colin Spain for E Kelly (ht), Luke Nolan for O Kelly (ht), Sam Bourke (0-01) for King (46), Jack Clancy (0-01) for Doyle (54), Eoghan Cahill for Guinan (52).
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
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