WITH 14 league titles to their credit, Cork are currently sharing second place with Kilkenny on the Roll of Honour behind 18time winners Tipperary. Cork were the inaugural champions in 1926, but, apart from 1941, when the two-in-a-row was completed, their league triumphs were well strung out in the early years.

Indeed, victory over Tipperary in the 1953 final brought their title haul to just six and they were to go another sixteen seasons without success after that.

The 1969 win was warmly welcomed, not least because, for the first time since 1957, Cork had lowered Tipperary's colours in a major game at the semifinal stage. Wexford, the reigning All-Ireland champions, provided the opposition in the decider, and it turned out to be a marvellous match, with Youghal's Willie Walsh, who scored two goals, doing much to inspire Cork to a 3-12 to 1-14 victory from the centre-forward berth.

Achieved by a very young team, it augured well for Cork's championship prospects that year. Surprisingly held to a draw by Clare in the first round, Cork made no mistake in the replay, and everything seemed to going according to plan after they advanced to the All-Ireland final, getting the better of Tipp in the Munster final when a hat-trick of goals from Willie Walsh paved the way for a 4-6 to 0-9 win.

An unfortunate injury sustained by Justin McCarthy of Passage in a road accident meant that Cork had to reshuffle the side for the decider against Kilkenny. And many eyebrows were raised by the decision to move Willie Walsh from attack to deputise for McCarthy in the No. 6 slot.

Still, Cork looked capable of making light of their pre-match set-back as they comfortably dictated matters in the first-half. The concession of a soft goal shortly before the interval, however, unsettled the team to an amazing degree. And Kilkenny, inspired by Eddie Keher, took full advantage, completely outhurling Cork in the second-half to finish decisive winners by 2-15 to 2-9.

After retaining the league title in 1970 by virtue of victories over Limerick in the 'home' final and New York in the final proper, Cork went on to collect the All-Ireland as well this time, with Eddie O'Brien of Passage contributing three goals during a facile victory over Wexford in the championship decider.

Cork's next league triumph came when they beat Limerick, 3-14 to 214, in a classic final in 1972. But their bid to complete the league /championship double was foiled by Kilkenny again that year, and in much the same way as in 1969.

With just fifteen minutes remaining, Cork held a nine point lead and appeared to be playing well within themselves. But then a speculative lob by Eddie Keher finished up in the net, and Kilkenny became a transformed side, winning eventually by 3-24 to 5-11.

Cork were much more convincing winners over All-Ireland holders Limerick in the 1974 league final. They were shocked by Waterford, however, at Walsh Park in the first round of the championship that year when the controversial dismissal of goalkeeper Paddy Barry of St. Vincent's shortly before half-time had a vital bearing on the outcome.

While Cork won three All-Irelands on the trot between '76 and '78, it wasn't until 1980 that they managed to lift another league title. They beat Limerick in a thrill-packed final replay at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, producing a devastating scoring burst in the last ten minutes to come through by 4-15 to 4-6, a result which did scant justice to the Shannonsiders efforts on the day.

Limerick turned the tables in the Munster final later that year, thanks in no small way to the referee's benevolence, which enabled Eamonn Cregan to land a raft of scores from frees in the second half. And Cork had reason to feel aggrieved when it was revealed afterwards that the referee had been informed at the interval of Limerick's dissatisfaction with the way he had handled the game in the firsthalf.

Cork won the league again in 1981 when they ran up a big score with a strong wind behind them in the final to shatter Offaly's ambitions before half-time. But they suffered a shock defeat at Clare's hands in the first round of the championship a few weeks later.

Ironically, it was an unheralded Clare side which again put paid to Cork's championship aspirations following the next league success in 1993, achieved after three epic final encounters with Wexford. Coming in the wake of one of the darkest periods in Cork's proud hurling history – during which just a single championship game was won, over lowly Kerry in '95, from '93 to '97 - it could be argued that the '98 league final victory over Waterford was more important than any previously recorded by the Rebel County.

It served to hasten the development of a tenderaged side which, under the canny stewardship of Jimmy Barry-Murphy, bridged a nine year gap by bringing the Liam McCarthy Cup to Cork in 1999. Sean Óg Ó hAilpin is the only survivor from the '98 league winning side on the current panel, but Donal Og Cusack and Ben O'Connor played on the team which won the All-Ireland the following year.

Cork's sole appearance in a league final since then occurred in 2002 when they went under by a point to Kilkenny on a day that was notable for the protest by the majority of the players during the pre-match parade to signify their support for the fledgling GPA. The hurlers have been regularly at odds with officialdom in the interim, and the details of the player-strikes in 2002, 2008 and 2009 have been well-documented at this stage.

Cork didn't field a team for their opening two league games in 2008, but they still managed to progress to the semi-finals where they fell to Galway. Last season Cork played their first three games with a make-shift side, and successive defeats at the hands of Dublin, Tipperary and Galway meant they were out of the hunt for the league title before the striking players returned.

To what extent the preseason turbulence impacted on Corkís championship campaign in 2009 is hard to say. It would be reasonable to suggest, however, that they will be in a better position to put their best foot forward than was the case 12 months ago now that their preparations haven ít been hindered by any off the field turmoil.

The players will certainly be out to prove a point, but whether Cork can replicate the dramatic upsurge in their fortunes which resulted following their initial spat with the County Board in 2002 they reached four All-Ireland finals, winning two, between 2003 and 2006 – remains to be seen.

It would be unwise to underestimate them, and a good campaign in the league, which gets underway with a home fixture against Offaly on Sunday, would be just what the doctor ordered in terms of boosting confidence and morale ahead of the Munster championship showdown with Tipp at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on June 30.

- Noel Horgan's