In early January, Cork GAA unveiled a plan to revitalise football in the county.
'#2024 - A Five-Year Plan for Cork Football' will see the county's club championships revamped and has the ultimate aim of Cork becoming All-Ireland contenders at all grades - including club championships - within the next five years.
Following his retirement from inter-county football in 2013, Tomás Ó Sé transferred from his home club An Ghaeltacht near Dingle to Nemo Rangers. He spent four years playing for the Cork City club, including in last year's All-Ireland club final defeat to Corofin.
Ó Sé is optimistic about what the Cork County Board's plan can do for Rebel football.
"I think they have something to aim for. That's the main thing for Cork," said Ó Sé at the launch of the Gourmet Food Parlour HEC Ladies Football Championships.
They have a new secretary [Kevin O'Donovan] who is progressive and who has great ideas; whose motto basically that if the clubs and schools are right, the rest will fall into place if you have the right people involved - I think that's great. I read an article about it a couple of years ago and that was his motto.
You have him there. There is a mess with Páirc Uí Chaoimh but that'll sort itself out. There were fellas giving out about the hospital up here [in Dublin] but if you built a shed in the back garden, you wouldn't get the pricing right. Maybe it was wrong and maybe they should have invested it in different ways but it's done.
You also have Cáirde Chorcaí and that will be vital for Cork going forward because they won't get the money from the county board because they are obviously stuck.
"I think it's is very progressive, it's very good," continued Ó Sé.
"If they tap into what's available to them in football down there... It's all hurling but there's still plenty to go around and don't think they've tapped into it properly.
"The main thing for Cork and if they follow through on what they have on paper, that's what they have to worry about.
"I like it. In fairness, they're after putting up their hand; they're after saying, 'There's an issue here. This is what we plan to do. This is how we plan to do it.'
"Is it five or six years before they're competing? I'm not sure but I do think they have a city
"Even the way they run their county leagues could be way more efficient. They need to look at stuff like that. Club players are not happy in Cork - they're not happy in a lot of places; they get a raw deal and if you don't look after clubs, you're going to suffer at inter-county level."
Picture credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE
