Cork Hurling Crisis

Surely if the players enjoyed the widespread support that people claim, Mc Carthy wouldn't be able to put together any sort of panel as no-one would play for him. The fact of the matter is that he does have a panel that includes club team mates of the striking players who have decided that playing for Cork is a honour that they can't refuse. Cork supporters should get behind these players for a very difficult year ahead and forget about anyone not willing to play for the County.
 
csirl said:
The GAA is a voluntary members organisation.

If there is genuine unhappiness with the management of the team, then there are ways to address this. The actions of the players is the wrong way and, from an outsiders point of view, seems to be at odds with the wishes of their members. If the members genuinely wanted to change the management they can raise the issue in their clubs, the clubs can raise the issue to the county board etc. and ultimately the management would be changed.

I dont know anything about Cork GAA politics, but it does seem like the wishes of the players are at odds with the wishes of the members.
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csirl, well it is and it isn't.. See article below taken from The Kerryman newspaper

GAA's amateur ethos undermined by president's €150,000 salary

By allowing a situation come to pass whereby the president of the Association will be paid five times the average industrial wage the GAA has badly undermined its amateur ethos, argues Damian Stack (The Kerryman)

Wednesday January 21 2009
GENERALLY speaking what a FAS employee earns won't make news in the back pages of newspapers. Until, that is, the employee in question is the soon to be President of the GAA. President-elect Chirsty Cooney earns a substantial € 158,000 a year for his work at the government training agency.
So what you might ask? Isn't that his own business? Well no actually, because as of January 1 last Mr Cooney's generous salary will be paid from the coffers of the GAA. That means that over the lifetime of his three year tenure as GAA President the GAA will have to find almost half a million euro to keep paying his salary, according to a report last week in the Irish Independent.

"In the first year of my Presidency, we will launch the Annual Volunteers Forum. We will put in place a process to address the issues surrounding the amateur status and implement a clear framework to maintain it at the core of the Association... The role of our volunteers and our amateur status has been key to the success of our Association." Chirsty Cooney, GAA President Elect, in ' The GAA Strategic Vision and Action Plan 2009-2015'

While serving as president Mr Cooney's salary will continue to be paid by FAS, but as he is offically seconded to the GAA they must pay FAS back the full value of what they have paid to the Youghal native. This is nothing new. Previous GAA presidents have been beneficiaries of the very same system, including the present office holder Nickey Brennan and Kerry's Sean Kelly.

The present system of secondment for the President was introduced in 2000 in recognition of the increasingly full-time nature of the position and hasn't generated any controversy until now. Mainly because none of the previous Presidents were in receipt of such an large salary.
It is outrageous to think that the GAA should have to pay such an extravagant fee to a "volunteer". It's important to stress that Mr Cooney isn't doing anything wrong. He earns what he earns and is fully compliant with the GAA rulebook, but that doesn't mean it's right that he should continue to be paid that salary while GAA President.

It has been noted again and again by people in the upper echelons of the GAA, including Mr Cooney (see above), that it is an amateur organisation with voluntarism at its core. How can an amateur ethos be upheld when the President of the Association is drawing more than five times the average industrial wage from its coffers?

How can the President of the Association call on players to retain their amateur status when he is in receipt of monies that mean he is anything but an amateur? How can a President of the Association call for an end to the practice of illegal payments to club and intercounty managers while in receipt of a six figure salary paid for by the GAA?

By having such a large salary paid for by the GAA a President cedes a great deal, if not all, of his moral authority when it comes to the 'amateur' issue. It's also problematic when one considers the current financial positions of county boards and clubs throughout the country.
Here in Kerry the County Board is looking at a very grim financial situation over the next couple of years, while clubs up and down the country are struggling to break even year on year. Cash-strapped clubs will have every right to question how much of their affiliation fees will go towards paying Cooney' salary. Club volunteers who sell lottery tickets to help keep their clubs afloat will have every right to question it too.

The GAA's finances at national level do look a great deal healthier, but the rents paid by the IRFU and the FAI for use of Croke Park are artifically inflating the GAA's bottom line. When Lansdowne Road is built neither the IRFU or the FAI will be using Croker any more and the GAA's finances won't be looking as rosy.
Allowing a situation exist whereby the President of an amateur association can be paid such a high figure probably won't be sustainable and will have to be looked at.

Instead of seconding the president from his place of work the GAA should consider a fixed salary, much lower than Mr Cooney's FAS salary, for the position. It is a full time job and nobody should be expected to do it for nothing, but a situation shouldn't be allowed develop whereby the president is getting a salary of five times the average industrial wage.

The argument against a fixed salary and in favour of the secondment arrangement is that a salaried position would undermine the GAA's amateur ethos, but when a situation occurs like the one that presently exists that argument becomes redundant.
 
The Cork Footballers have now issued a warning to the Cork County Board to sort it out or else. The pressure is slowly being turned up on the CCB Executive.

Taken from Breakingnews.ie

Cork's footballers are threatening to join in the strike being undertaken by their hurling colleagues unless the dispute is resolved in the coming weeks.

The footballers issued a statement last night saying they would refuse to play after the end of the National Football League if the stand-off is not resolved to the players' satisfaction.

The hurlers have been refusing to play under manager Gerald McCarthy as part of a long-running dispute with the County Board.

The footballers say they fully support the stance being taken by their hurling colleagues, which has led to McCarthy drafting in a team of newcomers for this year's National Hurling League.

Last night's statement was highly critical of the County Board executive, accusing it of not acting in the best interests of Cork GAA.
 
The size of tomorrow's protest/support march will give a good indication of the depth of feeling amongst the general public in Cork. The media are indicating that their opinion polls show huge player support but that doesn't come across as strong when you talk to people about it. The next few weeks will be very interesting, starting with the march tomorrow and the hurling match against Dublin on Sunday.

In truth, regardless of the outcome, Cork GAA is a bit like Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe. There won't be any long term peace or solution until Frank Murphy has gone.
 
Lex Foutish said:
In truth, regardless of the outcome, Cork GAA is a bit like Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe. There won't be any long term peace or solution until Frank Murphy has gone.
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That about sums up the situation. Even the people who are against the stance taken by the players have nothing good to say about Frank Murphy.

One man in charge of Cork GAA for 35 years can't be good for the organisation. Even if he was universally loved (which he certainly isn't) no organisation would prosper under one mans rule for that long.
 
I heard there were about ten thousand at the march in Town today and that Brian Corcoran and John Gardiner addressed the crowd. Any AAM members there?
Marion Finnucane had Gerald and Donal Óg on her show today for about half an hour.
Did anyone get the impression that Gerald knew more about the "leaked" document than he was admitting?
 
There were between 10 and 15 thousand at it, can't remember in my life time anyway, that number of people coming out in protest against anything political or otherwise in Cork.

I don't expect people from outside the county to understand or care about what is going on with GAA in Cork. The only reason the national media is being used is to get the info from both sides out to everyone in the county. It is not really our concern what anyone thinks outside the county and I don't mean that in a bad way.

But to inform those that don't know this dates back to the strike of 2002, the county board and a certain dictator will never forgive the players for the loss of power they experienced back then. Roll on four years, four all-ireland finals, and the county board decide to go with a manager from outside the setup that was going so well.....fair enough. This man comes in and looses 5 championship matches in 2 years and then is selected again as manager for the next 2 years. Now you might say those players are over the hill but when he took over everything went down hill from food before matches, to training, to team selction (anyone who knows their hurling just look at the changes made during the Tip game last year). Now you have to ask yourself why would he be re-elected as manager??? Power my friends, power, the county board are trying to get back the power they lost in 2002. I know this is unbelieveable to people who live outside the county but that is exactly what is going on. And it is unbelieveable that the delegates from the clubs that vote would not overthrow this man. Last week there was a motion brought forward by Cloyne in which they requested that before votes are taken each delegate goes back to his club so a decision can be made on what way they will vote.....it was rejected as out of order and our esteemed chairman addressed the delegates and asked them "do you want the power to leave this room?". So if that doesn't explain how it is all about power with the county board nothing will!!

Some people have suggested that the players should get on and play but why should they deal with this crap when they have jobs, girlfriends, wives (not neccessarily both but some may :) ) and families and they are sacrifcing them to go training 4 nights a week and head to matches at the weekend and all for what.....they want to win but how can they with a setup like this??

And to those who say Cork is a laughing stock and always were, come back to me when you have achieved what Cork did in 1990 and we can talk! ;-)

Oh and on an aside note if we had enough people in this country who stood up for what they truly believed in we might not be in the economic and political mess we are in at the moment....ah cher it all be grand!!
 
Lex Foutish said:
I heard there were about ten thousand at the march in Town today and that Brian Corcoran and John Gardiner addressed the crowd. Any AAM members there?
Marion Finnucane had Gerald and Donal Óg on her show today for about half an hour.
Did anyone get the impression that Gerald knew more about the "leaked" document than he was admitting?
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I was there Lex....
I estimate a crowd much higher than the 10,000 quoted in news reports. About 13,000 I would say.
The mood from the platform was more pro the 08 players than anti Frank Murphy or anti Ger Mc. The MC stated at the start that it was all about a show of support for the players and nothing else.
To be honest I would have preferred if the speakers were more militant. I don't think the CCB will take much notice of marchers on the street... Now if 10,000 were to march on Pairc Ui Chaoimh when the CCB are in session I would be more impressed. The crowd were more militant than the speakers and would have welcomed a bit more rabble rousing speeches!

The turn out tomorrow in Pairc Ui Chaoimh for the developement side will be interesting. If might be the first time in the history of Cork GAA that the County Board will actually inflate the "official" size of the crowd.

I was listening to Donal Og and Ger Mc this morning on Marian Finucane and yes, I though Ger sidestepped to question of the leaked document.
To be honest these debates between Ger and the players have been done to death here in Cork and achieve nothing. Ideally the man who is paid to lead Cork (The County Secretary) should be debating with the people and players rather than doing it by proxy with Ger Mc. But then that has been the situation throughout his 35 year reign and through all the issues and contraversies of those 35 years.
 
Good synopsis Leesider29. And Banker, your reference to what they'll claim the attendance was, is hilarious. You know them very well! I remember being on the terraces in Páirc Uí Chaoimh for Munster finals when you couldn't squeeze a sardine more into the stadium and hearing what the "official" attendance was later! :rolleyes:

(Unrelated to all this, something that really used to got me going was the way Croke Park spokesmen never, ever mentioned soccer unless they were justifying the high prices they were charging for GAA match tickets!) :mad: Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of ticket prices, did you hear Gerald in his post match interview refer to the patrons who had paid €15 (!) to see the match today? :confused: Did you know the CCB had a sense of humour? Did either of you hear what kind of a crowd was at it?

The result brings a much greater urgency to the whole situation now. Today's panel probably won't be a threat on the Munster or national stage for 2 to 3 years at least. Will the Cork hurling public hang around for that long? I think not. Something will have to give shortly.

As Leesider29 said, it's hard to explain the current situation fully to someone outside of Cork. Many club members tell me that their delegates to the CCB can't express an opinion contrary to the official line as they feel their clubs would suffer or pay a price in some way.

A final thought.... I saw the trailer of Valkyrie at the cinema last night. One character in that film (a guy with a moustache) looked very like someone who's been the voice of the CCB for the last 35 years. :D
 
I didn't go to the game today as I just couldn't justify paying €15 to keep the paid county secretary in the manner to which he is accoustomed.

The "official" attendance today was 2,000. This figure was released by the CCB. Local radio stations in Cork were reporting the attendance at between 500 - 800.
 
Padraigb said:
Do you think they would be interested other than in the way rubberneckers like to have a good look at car crashes?
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Got it in one!!

Don't leave the facts get in the way of a good **** take! ;-) BTW Frank Murphy was born in Kilkenny.....it was all part of their grand plan I tell you!! :)
 
Rigoletto said:
what is it with cork and its "sportsmen"
the hurlers are on strike and wont play for their county because they want to pick the manager (D'ya know)
the footballers last year went on strike and refused to play for their county.

Stephen Ireland is from cobh county cork and wont play for his country and is making up dead grannies to get out of playing for his country.

Roy keane is from Cobh county cork and walked out on his country and then walked out on his club (after spending more money than Real Madrid and winning nothing)

sonia o sullivan is from...you guessed it...cobh county cork and in 2006 applied for dual citizenship so she could run for australia and then in 2008 managed one of australia's cross country teams.
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Yeah...and now 'Santy' seems to be getting in on the act.:D

[broken link removed]

I think Sean Og phoned him and told him he should consider a STRIKE...wuh wuh wuh.
 
The logistics man presently working with Gerald McCarthy and the Cork 09 squad resigned last night and has given a damning interview with the Examiner.

The story below was taken from the Examiner website.

Blow for McCarthy as Cork backroom member quits By Michael Moynihan

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/ideykfojau/

EMBATTLED Cork hurling manager Gerald McCarthy suffered another setback yesterday with the resignation of Martin Walsh, the team's logistics manager for the last two seasons.

Walsh said yesterday that McCarthy's ongoing criticism of the 2008 senior hurling panel was the reason he was stepping down. "I thought Gerald's interview on Saturday was very unfair," said Walsh.

"Anyone who ever worked with Donal Óg Cusack knows he'll listen to you. He wouldn't make you feel uncomfortable, no matter what you're saying; he'd do anything for you. He, Sean Óg and John Gardiner, as player reps, did everything they could to help Gerald over the last two seasons.

"The reason I'm stepping down now is that it's hard enough listening to things being said about the players, what they're getting out of the game and so on. Babs Keating's attack on Diarmuid and Paudie O'Sullivan last week - and on their father Jerry - was very unfair as well. Babs probably has a hidden agenda, maybe he's getting back at modern players.

"Donal Óg Cusack is an easy target for fellas to have a go at, an easy man to blame. As is Frank Murphy on the other side, in fairness. But to me Donal Óg is the ultimate professional - he, Sean Óg, Tom Kenny, they're lads who'll go to any lengths to get that extra one per cent out of themselves. To say Donal Óg doesn't want to be coached and so on - I know he'd row in 100% behind anyone who could improve things. That's the way he is - he's a great man for the organisation. So is Sean Óg."

Walsh credited facilitator Cathal O'Reilly with improving the atmosphere in the group last year, but agreed with the players who felt the quality of training had slipped.

"Cathal did fantastic work with the group - you could see them pulling together. He got them to gel and to build trust. But the one thing is that respect is a two-way street. You see what's being written about the players and you have to ask is there respect there? If there's no respect in the dressing-room, you have no business being there.

"Were things as bad as people say? Yes, they were. Jerry Wallace put in fierce work to keep things going last year, so did Brian Roche, but the players came from a background where Declan Kidney was watching them train, where people involved with Kilkenny would watch the sessions. The players are doing the training and if they feel that it's gone from up here to down there, then it must have gone back. People forget the work the two trainers, Jerry Wallace and Seanie McGrath, put in under Donal O'Grady and John Allen."

Walsh was involved with the 2009 team up to Sunday's defeat to Dublin at Páirc Ui Chaoimh but had also continued to work with the 2008 panel.

""I felt this would be resolved, and that it was my duty to help the (2008) lads and make sure they could come back to play for Cork.

"You talk about pride in the jersey. These players have the ultimate pride in the jersey.

"Part of my job was to collect jerseys after games, and not one of them would throw the jersey to you. They hand the jersey back.

"They wait to sign autographs, to stand for photographs - I was at training for them at quarter to five, they'd start arriving at quarter past five and the last man would leave at ten o'clock.

"They're superb men and they're being dragged through the dirt here, when all they want is to get back to where Kilkenny are, to win All-Irelands."

Walsh acknowledged the pressure on the new panel and on the county board.

"There are good men in the board - (chairman) Jerry O'Sullivan and (PRO) Ger Lane are friends of mine and they're good men.

"Jerry is a sound man, he has club men and sons involved and it's difficult for him.

"I got on well with Gerald as well, but he's being left out on a limb here.

"It's difficult for the 2009 players. There are grand guys there who could be developed, but they're getting tarred with this thing.

"I'm a players' man and I wouldn't knock them, they answered the call, but they'll probably be easy targets."

Walsh, chairman of Ballinacurra GAA club, refuted suggestions the players were motivated by personal gain.

"At least 10 Cork players have been down there to help us in Ballinacurra, and all it cost us was a lunch for Shane O'Neill and some crystal we gave Sean Óg after he presented trophies.

"All the talk about money for them is rubbish.

"How come nobody is talking about Donal Óg and Kevin Hartnett working for Alan Kerins in Zambia, or about the fact that they're getting 20 people to go out there again in October?"

Walsh sees more pressing problems for Cork GAA.

"If the board can leave their greatest asset, the players, on the outside, have another 30 footballers threatening to go - and maybe another 50 players who won't play - then something has to give.

"It's grand saying people are looking after underage teams and so on, but we're not promoting ourselves.

"I'm my club's East Cork Board delegate, and I see clubs amalgamating at minor, pushing for twelve-a-side at U21.

"We're holding our own but stronger clubs are coming back to our level.

"You'd wonder just how strong the GAA is in Cork.

"We should be pushing our inter-county hurlers and footballers, not knocking them.

"Rugby and soccer motor away at their own thing. Why can't we?"
 
The_Banker said:
I didn't go to the game today as I just couldn't justify paying €15 to keep the paid county secretary in the manner to which he is accoustomed.

The "official" attendance today was 2,000. This figure was released by the CCB. Local radio stations in Cork were reporting the attendance at between 500 - 800.
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What manner is that. I believe he is a power freak but what else is going on down there ??

Great interview with both sides on Radio 1 at ther weekend.
 
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