Patrick Horgan says he will never watch back the 2025 All-Ireland final defeat

Michael Bolton

The all-time championship top scorer and a legend of hurling, it is hard to believe Patrick Horgan did not win an All-Ireland with Cork.

After 18 seasons, he decided to retire from inter-county hurling and will likely go down as one of the best to play the sport.

It looked like this would be the season he would finally add a Liam MacCarthy to his name.

After winning the league and the Munster championship, Cork quickly became the favourites for the All-Ireland, with a forward line that Horgan was part of devastating defences across the country.

However, the dream ended after a second-half collapse in the final against Tipperary, which Horgan says he will never watch back.

"I'll never look at it again", Horgan told BreakingNews.ie.

"There was no reason to. The season's over. The review comes if you're trying to get better. So I'd imagine the boys gone back now for the year ahead probably will review that game.

"They might look at it as a team and see where they think it went wrong, and this and that, but not for me, no."

Ryan's departure

For Horgan, his decision to step away from Cork was made once manager Pat Ryan announced he was stepping down.

Horgan praised Ryan for his time in charge and how he connected with players.

"I suppose when Pat left. I just felt I'm done with it, really.

He was brilliant. Always seemed to say the right thing.

"Brilliant with people. Unbelievable understanding of the game and the different changes in the game. A good understanding of all the different positions and what they expect.

"When you're doing up, say game plans even, he would see the different positions that would be affected most by a certain plan you're trying to implement.

"But overall, just how he spoke to the team, and got the support behind the team as he did, he did an unbelievable job."

Horgan has not been able to stay away from the game for too long, as he was named a selector for the Cork U20s for the 2026 season.

While it may not have initially been his target, Horgan is looking forward to the challenges coaching will bring.

"In a way, I am on a break. Because when you're playing, it's every day, every hour, everything you do is geared towards playing.

"But this is a bit different. You go to the training, you leave the training, and you're done for another while. The time is really cut down massively. So, that's a help."

He says the game is moving so fast, "I suppose in a few years what anybody knows now might be miles off." But he's determined to remain deeply involved and help to build a successful future for a new generation.