(I’ve tried to keep these facts as accurate as possible but if you see anything amiss please let me know)

1. Prior to their meeting , in June 2011, Laois were the only All-Ireland winning county that Cork had never beaten in the championship. Laois won the only meeting between the sides in the 1915 All-Ireland final. In 2011 Cork unleashed 96 years of revenge in the follow up match scoring their highest ever championship score 10-20(50 pts), the biggest ever combined score in a game involving them(66 pts), their biggest winning margin since 1923 and their first time to hit 10 goals since 1933.

2. Cork’s biggest ever points(over the bar) total was 32 pts versus Kerry in 2000 when they won 2-32 to 4 points. This was also the lowest score they conceded since the 1947 Munster Quarter Final versus Clare.

3. Cork’s biggest ever winning margin was 43pts v Galway in 1902 when they won 10-13 to no score.

4. Cork have been runner up in 18 All-Ireland finals. Remarkably 13 of these were against Kilkenny.

5. Not including Kilkenny, Cork have only lost a total of 5 games against Leinster opposition – Dublin twice and Wexford, Offaly and Laois once.

6. Up to the end of 2011 Cork have played 367 Championship matches, winning 241 drawing 25 and losing 101.

7. The most points(over the bar) conceded by Cork in a game was 24 versus Antrim in the 1986 All-Ireland semi-final. However they still won this match 7-11(32) to 1-24(27).

8. Cork have never lost to Galway in a final having played them six times. In fact in 31 meetings Galway have only been victorious on 6 occasions. Cork’s defeat to Galway in 2011 was the first time Cork had lost two successive games to Galway.

9. In 1944 Cork became the first team to win 4 consecutive All-Ireland’s. Their opposition in the finals were Dublin(1941,42,44) and Antrim(1943). Antrim, who had never beaten Galway or Kilkenny before 1943 and have never been them since, beat both to reach the final. Cork weren’t in as charitable mood as the others and Antrim were handed a severe 5-16 to 0-4 hammering in the final.

10. Cork have played in more Munster Finals(79) than any other team winning 50 and losing 29. They have won the Munster Final 5 times in a row on 2 occasions 75-79 and 82-86.