Pat Ryan reveals how much social media criticism impacted him and his Cork players

Ryan left Cork last weekend after three years in charge

Pat Ryan has revealed how he is unaffected by social media talk and abuse, but that it did impact his Cork players while he was manager.

Ryan left Cork hurling last weekend after three years at the club, following defeats in the 2024 and 2025 All-Ireland final.

In July’s final in particular, following a second-half collapse against Tipperary at Croke Park, Ryan’s players received criticism from all quarters for their performance.

Asked by RedFM’s Ger McCarthy whether the social media criticism had impacted Ryan himself, he admitted the players were most impacted and it “drags the team down”. 

“I didn't really take much notice of that, I'm not a fool and it doesn't affect things, I suppose,” said Ryan.

“What I would ask is that people be cognisant of what they put online. 

“Because as a man of 49 years of age, I kind of push past it and you don't see it. You've enough things going on in your life and you've enough things that have affected my own character to make me strong enough to deal with any of that.

“I don't see it as much, whereas younger people do. What I find is that lots of the friends of the players and in WhatsApp groups, they're putting up stuff. 

“What I would say is it doesn't help the team. It drags them down.”

Ryan breaks silence on half-time bust-up rumours

Ryan has finally broken his silence over rumours that Cork players were involved in a bust-up at half-time in this year’s All-Ireland final.

Rumours swirled in the weeks after Cork’s disastrous defeat by Tipperary in July that Ryan’s players had fought each other in the dressing room, despite his side leading by six points.

But speaking to the Irish Examiner in his first interview following his departure from Cork, Ryan says the rumours were disgusting.

“To be honest, sometimes fellas think when you’re the manager that you hear everything that’s going on.

“I didn’t hear it until I went back into work on the Thursday or the Friday. And I was like: ‘What are you on about?’ And then fellas were showing me text messages.

“And my attitude was, maybe we should have a fight. And that was my take. Absolutely, totally false. Absolutely no truth in it."