On 20 May the team traveled to Austin Stack Park in Tralee and played Kerry in the opening round of the Munster Championship.

A score line of 3-16 to 3-7 gave Cork a respectable win, however, the team stumbled at some stages and looked unlikely contenders for Munster and All-Ireland honours.

Cork's next outing in the championship was a Munster final meeting with arch-rivals Tipperary at Semple Stadium on 15 July.

Straight away Galway went on the attack after just ten seconds of play, however, Michael McGrath’s shot failed to hit the target and he registered his team's first wide of the day.

Immediately after the puck-out the play switched to the opposite end of the field where the sliothar broke to Kevin Hennessy.

Both sides exchanged wides over the next few minutes of play before John Fitzgibbon stretched Cork's lead again with a point.

Kevin Hennessy gave the Cork men a two-point cushion once again when he slotted over a free before Joe Cooney had the chance to level the game.

Kevin Hennessy was on hand again in the thirteenth minute to send over another free to give Cork some more breathing space.

Martin Naughton got things back on track with a point before Joe Cooney added to his tally with Galway’s first goal of the day.

His first shot on target was blocked by Ger Cunningham; however, the rebound allowed him to kick the sliothar into the net to level the scores.

Cork's woes continued with Jim Cashman missing a long-range free before Martin Naughton and Joe Cooney both recorded two more points.

The finals core of the half was an absolute delightful one as Cork's Kevin McGuckin sent a sideline cut straight over the crossbar for a point.

Martin Naughton pointed for Galway before the forwards launched an all-out attack ob Ger Cunningham's goal once again.

With nine minutes gone in the second-half Cork were given a major boost when Mulcahy rifled a shot into the Galway net for a goal.

Galway decided to freshen up things for the final few minutes of play as Anthony Cunningham made way for the veteran goal-scorer Brendan Lynskey.

Straight away after the puck-out Galway turned defence into attack when Brendan Lynskey scored a goal to reduce Cork's lead to three points once again.

Tony O’Sullivan gave Cork a four-point lead again before Joe Cooney, one of the start players of the game, sent over a point for Galway and the final score of the day.

A short few seconds later the referee blew the final whistle and Cork were the All-Ireland champions of 1990 on a score line of 5-15 to 2-21.