PRESIDENT CHRISTY COONEY

[goal 10]

Well' said Eddie O'Connor, it's about time someone told Cooney & Duffy the truth.

[orangeman]

Croke Park not in touch with reality
Sean O'Riordan, 23 April 2011
Former Kilkenny captain Eddie O'Connor has hit out at GAA bosses Christy Cooney and Paraic Duffy over the payments to managers issue.

Director-General, Duffy has been working on an in-depth report, while current President Cooney recently labeled the problem "a cancer" in the GAA. President-in-waiting Liam O'Neill has also spoke out in favour of the voluntary ethos of the Association.

The County Board of All-Ireland hurling champions Tipperary, are firmly in favour of payments and have attempted to appoint county football manager John Evans as Director of Football. The GAA blocked the move.

Eddie O'Connor, has now spoken out in favour of payments to managers. The former All Ireland winner wrote a piece in the Irish Independent and Irish Daily Star newspapers on Friday, in which he said, "Some of the people in Croke Park, they're not in touch with reality at all.

"They're not in touch with the people on the ground. It's the people on the ground that are doing all the work.

"Rumours has it that Christy Cooney is on €3,000 a week so he has some neck to be coming out with those comments.

"If he's that concerned about the GAA, why don't himself and Paraic Duffy do the job for nothing? It beggars belief."

[Bord na Mona man]

"Rumours has it that Christy Cooney is on €3,000 a week so he has some neck to be coming out with those comments.

I think that is more than a rumour, it was confirmed that the GAA are paying out about €150,000 a year to replace his Fás salary.

[Tubberman]

I don't know much about the man apart from the fact that he's on secondment from fas, which is bad enough. But for some reason he reminds me of john o'donoghue and I despise that man.

[Hardy]

Was it Eddie or his brother who used the occasion of the captain's speech after winning the AIF to demand cash off the GAA for the players?

[Bord na Mona man]

Was it Eddie or his brother who used the occasion of the captain's speech after winning the AIF to demand cash off the GAA for the players?

It was Eddie. Mad as a badger.

[magpie seanie]

Was it Eddie or his brother who used the occasion of the captain's speech after winning the AIF to demand cash off the GAA for the players?

It was Eddie. Mad as a badger.

"The Holiday Rover" as Micheal referred to him thereafter as!

[Bud Wiser]

Was it Eddie or his brother who used the occasion of the captain's speech after winning the AIF to demand cash off the GAA for the players?

He demaned a holiday for all the players, I was stood right next to behind him on the day, and if memory serves me correctly, I think his good mother was after dying the same week as he raised the McCarthy on that Sunday, so it was more an emotional speech than a financial statement. As has now transpired, he was correct, not in that there should be payment for anybody but more in keeping with Good, Goose and Gander?

[laoisgaa]

O'Neill slams Cooney critics
By Cóilín Duffy

GAA President Elect Liam O'Neill has offered a strong defence of Christy Cooney, slamming those who have been critical of the GAA President in recent days.

O'Neill's comments come in the wake of criticism from ex Kilkenny Hurling Captain Eddie O'Connor and Donegal footballer Brendan Devanney.

Both slammed Cooney's comments in his address to Congress about payments to managers being a 'cancer' in the association.

They felt Cooney's thoughts were ironic given the salary that he commands from the GAA during his term of office.

Presently the salary of the GAA President is linked to earnings in their previous job.

"I think the comments made this week were outrageous," O'Neill stated at a function to honour the British Universities GAA All-Star teams at Croke Park.

"It is unfair to denigrate people in public and it is something that doesn't sit easy with any of us who are involved in the association.

"Christy has done great work. I didn't like the terms used and I wish people could be kinder to one another.

"You can argue the points of an issue, but I think we should all respect each other.

"That goes for whether people like me have difficulty with managers who get paid. I still respect them and I would never use the type of language that was used by people this week about our President.

"The position that I aspire to hold in a years time is far bigger than any of us. I will be the 37th President - 36 people so far have held that office and have held it with great dignity.

"I wish that our members and supporters and people who comment on the organisation would uphold the dignity of the office and refrain from using pejorative terms if at all possible."

O'Neill also moved to clarify recent newspaper reports which stated that he didn't like outside managers.

"One journalist unfortunately tied me into a comment. I made a comment that I don't like outside managers who get paid and that was taken as a quote that I don't like outside managers," he said.

"I think some of the most wonderful innovations in Gaelic games have come about because of outside managers.

"We all need look no further than the Offaly resurgence in the 1980's brought about by Dermot Healy of Kilkenny who was certainly anything other than a person who was interested in money.

"He came up to Offaly and George Leahy was with Laois at the same time, all offering their services for legitimate expenses only and I would salute those two gentlemen.

"I know plenty of clubs have people coming from outside who aren't taking expenses and again I salute them the same way anyone who works voluntarily for this wonderful organisation.

"My comments were directed at those who come and take money from club and counties, hard earned gathered money.

"It just jars those people. But the majority of managers are wonderful and they do a great job and whether we agree or disagree with them every team needs and manager and somebody has to do it."

[laoisgaa]

Just before the comments kick in, Liam was saying all of the above in relation to the fact that Christy is human just like the rest of us. Like him or lump him Christy was unfairly hung, drawn and quartered last week.

[Coddler]

Cooney comes across as a complete clown in this.

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/video-room/video/1/32711/

[Rossfan]

O'Neill slams Cooney critics
By Cóilín Duffy

" those who come and take money from club and counties, hard earned gathered money.

which the counties and clubs trip over themselves to give to Managers 

[omagh_gael]

I recognise the sense in offering the president the same wage he earns in his normal job but surely there should be a cap somewhere along the line. However, it wasn't Christy who made the rules so it's unfair to signal him out when he clearly put a lot of hard work into his career to get where he has got.

[johnneycool]

Christy is in his last year as president, lord only knows when this report will be published and the fall out will be left to O'Neill who seems to be singing from the Corporate Croke park hymn sheet already.

I'm almost certain Sean Kelly gave a rant about management payments in his last term as well.

If Cooney felt so strongly about it then he should have done something a lot earlier in his term. It reeks of a token gesture.
And you know what, any report will find nothing as a lot of these additional 'expenses' are paid via the sponsor or the likes and nothing will be found on the county board books.

As for the dig about his salary, it may not be his fault but you don't hear of him looking to change the rules to allow the President to be paid an average industrial wage, do you? O'Neill won't change it either.

[King Seanie]

Every time Cooney opens his mouth he seems to piss off more people. His latest master-stroke has to be his suggestion that inter-county sides in weaker hurling counties shouldn't be playing so many games, which has immediately led to the Cavan (football) board scrapping their senior hurling side while throwing out the usual lip service to underage development. Who knows how many could follow suit now the precedent has been set? He has been a walking disaster and he can't go soon enough, although as said above, O'Neill seems to a similar proposition.