Injury free Cormac Egan enjoying his football as Tullamore regain title
FINALLY free from injury Tullamore forward Cormac Egan is enjoying his football right now and he is a vital cog in the Tullamore forward line, helping set up the first half goal for Luke Plunkett in Sunday's final.
Since helping Offaly win the All-Ireland under 20 title in 2021, Cormac has endured a tough time with injuries, which kept him out of last year's final, but this year has had an injury free run. He was involved with the Tullamore panel which won in 2021 but didn't feature in that success but he has made up for it now
“A few years ago it was an unbelievable feeling but this year to be back playing football regularly and not injured is such a better feeling than a few years ago, even though I was over the moon for the boys then,” he said.
“I'm delighted to be back playing, injury free and enjoying my football again. I was going through games trying to survive and get to the end of them whereas now I am going out and enjoying my football. It is such a different perspective when you are playing. I am just delighted to be back and obviously the year I've had with the U-20 hurlers as well, it's just been great. After last year being so bad with injuries, this year has made up for it,” he added.
He said he was over the moon to win the title. “It's a feeling of relief to get over the line. Such a dogged game, probably not one for the viewer to watch but it had to be dogged out and we showed we have a bit of bottle and can go to the well a few times.”
The conditions had a huge bearing on the game and he said it was very difficult to play in. “It is two different games playing football in those conditions and when it is dry. Every ball, a 70-30 pass becomes 50-50 very quickly. It is just impossible. Everyone is slipping and sliding, what's a foul, what's not a foul, the game is just madness but we dug it out.”
Cormac was involved in Tullamore's goal, giving he final pass for Luke Plunkett to shoot to the net.
“Aaron Hensey broke through the middle and I was in space and he threw it out to me. Either I had to go myself or pass it off and the defender made my mind up for me by coming to me. Luke finished it and that's his job and he finished off that and now we're champions,” he recalled.
Scores were very hard to come by and Cormac said that was very much down to the conditions. “Every score is worth double and the goal was worth five or six points. Fantastic to get a result,” he said.
Tullamore will now represent Offaly in the Leinster Club Championship and Cormac said “Leinster championship is another day out and something to look forward to. That is a serious Ferbane team but unfortuately for them their year is over while we have another chance, so let's go and make the most of it,” he stated.