I really have no desire to write about this disaster of a season, so it's handy that it was the simplest in the club's history in terms of clothing. The same strips as 2008 were used, green home (left) and black away (right), the only differences from the previous season being the new league patches on the sleeves. In a nutshell, Tom Coughlan proved to be worse than Arkaga. Prior to appointing Paul Doolin as manager, he seemed to interview everyone in Cork, including Billy Morgan, who had won All-Ireland titles in charge of Cork in Gaelic football. Results at the start were good, but money was in short supply, the low point possibly when a bus driver refused to take the team to Dublin for a game with St Patrick's Athletic until his company was paid. Captain Dan Murray was forced to go on local radio and basically beg for financial assistance from the publis.

Further warning signs came when a winding-up order was issued by Revenue, and though that was overcome, a second one in the summer was almost fatal, the club within hours of being wound up but for Justice Mary Laffoy to grant a stay as it fulfilled a strong social role in the community. Supporters' trust FORAS (Friends Of the Rebel Army Society) withdrew co-operation in relation to match-night activities and it became clear that the close season would be a critical time. After a sixth-place finish, Doolin resigned as oddly he was not too keen on doing his job without being paid, a treatment everybody employed with the club was having to undergo.