McCarthy admits he does not have backing of Cork hurlers

[Zulu]

I don't know why you think they aren't because they are, they don't rate him and don't get on with him and they'll never play for him.

[orangeman]

I don't know why you think they aren't because they are, they don't rate him and don't get on with him and they'll never play for him.

I'm not saying they will.

[orangeman]

Any word on how the meeting went Reillers assuming of course that it has taken place ?? Surely if something is to be sorted in time for the NFL they'll have to get this thing resolved before too long ?

[realrebel]

its over lads
ccb and ger have released a statement tonight saying no more time will be given to the strikers they are moving on without them
they also say in this statement the players refused to meet with jimmy barry, thomas mul, dr con murphy and olan kelleher, they also refused to meet with john keane and teddy mac
time to move on reillers dont u think if they wouldnt talk to any of the above who would they talk to

[The GAA]

They wouldn't talk to any of the above?

are you sire you want to stand over that statement?

[realrebel]

thats what it says in the statement released tonight
not my words

[The GAA]

Eh, released where or where did you read it?

[realrebel]

hold on i will get the link for u

[realrebel]

go to the irishtimes website its on there somewhere

[orangeman]

McCarthy declares time for talking is over
NOEL O'REILLYGerald McCarthy has ended any lingering hopes of a resolution in the ongoing Cork hurling dispute by declaring that the time for negotiating with the striking players is now over. Instead, the manager intends to work with the young players currently at his disposal in an effort to "move on".



In a lengthy statement running to over 700 words, McCarthy insisted that all potential avenues have now been exhausted. And with little sign of an end to the impasse, the embattled manager will press forward without the member's of last year's panel who refuse to play under his stewardship.

"I am not interested anymore in negotiating with last year's panel," McCarthy stated. "I have done everything possible to facilitate a solution. It's time to move on. My full attention for the next two years will be on the players who have come forward to play with Cork."

McCarthy, who outlined the efforts he and the county board had made to end the dispute in some detail, asked the Cork fans for patience in the coming months.

"This season's squad have been deprived of the help and guidance of more experienced players because of this dispute and that is a pity," he added. "The Cork public needs to support them and be patient and encouraging."

And while he has refused to enter into any further discussions with the striking players, McCarthy left the door open to any individual who may wish to return to the fold of their own volition.

"In time they [the current players] will be joined by others who want to play for their county," McCarthy concludes. "There will always be a welcome from me and my management team for any player who wants to play for Cork."

McCarthy's decision to draw a line under the matter, and potentially end the intercounty careers of so many outstanding Cork players, received the backing of the county board tonight.

In a statement of their own, the board explained that they were "extremely disappointed" talks to be chaired by Olann Kelleher had not gone ahead but insisted McCarthy "is the right man to lead Cork forward".

"We would appeal to the players to reconsider their positions but there has to be a realisation that the entire focus now must be on the preparation of the Cork senior hurling team for the forthcoming League and Championship."


Full Statement from Gerald McCarthy

The refusal of the players to meet all parties, Olann Kelleher the independent chairman, or any other independent person, simply confirms for me that there never has been any serious intent by the leaders of this dispute to try to resolve the current issues. I believe their attitude to the independent chairman whose sole interest, as a keen follower of all Cork sport, was to broker a solution, has been offhand and obstructive. I would like to thank Olann for all his efforts to resolve the issues.

Efforts by the County Board and myself to resolve this impasse have been going on since October. We have not, as some commentators have suggested, been sitting on our hands. The player representatives who last year refused to allow Kieran Mulvey and Padraic Duffy meet with all the players, also refused a similar request by me in November.

The best efforts of Jimmy Barry Murphy, Tomas Mulcahy and Dr Con Murphy came to nothing because of the players' attitude. In the past fortnight, the players refused to meet me although I had turned up to meet them. A few days later, having apparently agreed to meet with me, the players then indicated that they would not meet with selectors Teddy McCarthy and John Keane. Having changed their minds on that, they now refuse to meet under Olann Kelleher. No-one on the management team, whatever our faults, has any such illusions about our own importance.

This has been one of the saddest periods in Cork hurling. The players, having agreed to participate in a unique process outlined by Kieran Mulvey, reneged on it. The players never put forward an alternative name to mine during the five meetings of the selection process.

The players wished to interview managerial candidates. I am not aware of any sport which would allow current players to interview candidates who would become their managers or coaches. The player leaders walked out of the process and, despite giving their word to the contrary in last year's dispute, went on strike. The players want the right to veto the appointment of the county manager, and effectively appoint their own manager. They don't accept that different perspectives to their own are worthy of any consideration. And when those who claim representative status for all the players don't get exactly what they want, they walk away and reach for a placard. Does any real or perceived grievance justify the damage that has been done to Cork hurling?

I find the efforts to pressurise members of the current panel not to turn out for Cork as very hard to take. The image of senior players trying to get young players not to turn out for Cork is one that should make every hurling follower feel very uncomfortable. The players involved seem not only to wish to decide who their manager should be but would also determine who should and shouldn't play for Cork.

Some of the commentary on the dispute has been very unfair and has made no attempt to examine the issues involved. The treatment of the players as having no responsibility for their actions, on or off the field, has simply made resolution more difficult. Likewise, there is an undercurrent of undeclared conflicts of interest surrounding this dispute which has been far from "fair, decent or transparent" and which, in time, will probably emerge.

There are a few constants in my view of hurling. The overriding one is that it is an absolute honour to play for Cork and to follow the great names that went before. I am not interested anymore in negotiating with last year's panel. I have done everything possible to facilitate a solution. It's time to move on. My full attention for the next two years will be on the players who have come forward to play with Cork.

This season's squad have been deprived of the help and guidance of more experienced players because of this dispute and that is a pity. The Cork public needs to support them and be patient and encouraging. The young players are putting a huge effort into training for the National League and will go abroad in April for intensive training. In time they will be joined by others who want to play for their county. There will always be a welcome from me and my management team for any player who wants to play for Cork.

Statement from the Cork County Board

Cork County Board is extremely disappointed at the decision of the players not to engage in talks under the independent chairmanship of Olann Kelleher or, indeed, with any independent chairman. Sincere appreciation is expressed of Mr Kelleher's sustained efforts to assist in resolving the impasse.

The idea of independently chaired mediation arose at the recent county convention and followed various unsuccessful efforts by board officers and other interested parties to get the players to sit down and discuss the issues they had.

The players indicated that they would not accept the parameters set down by convention and in an attempt to break the deadlock, the county board chairman, Diarmuid O' Suilleabhain, asked that talks involving all players, the county board officers and the management team, led by Gerald McCarthy, would take place, under the independent chairman appointed at the wish of the convention. That proposition has now been rejected by the players.

The last few months have been very difficult for everyone involved, players, management and board members and have been very damaging to Cork hurling. No county can afford the loss of talented players and Cork is no exception. That is why so many efforts have been made to resolve the difficulties.

Gerald McCarthy has the board's full support. He has been an outstanding player for Cork and an outstanding and knowledgeable coach of his club, St. Finbarr's and both of Cork and Waterford. The board is convinced that he is the right man to lead Cork forward.

We would appeal to the players to reconsider their positions but there has to be a realisation that the entire focus now must be on the preparation of the Cork senior hurling team for the forthcoming League and Championship.

[realrebel]

OM
thanks for putting that up im no good with computers

[The GAA]

You can now retract your previous statement realrebel. it's that sort of mischievious misinformation that lowers the standards of this board and reduces the possibility of rational debate.

[realrebel]

eh why
it says the best efforts of jimmy, thomas and co murphy came to nothing because of the players attiude

also they refused to meet with gerald, teddy and john

[orangeman]

I don't really know what was going on with the players in their refusing to meet with Kelleher. For the life of me, I can't understand it - I know Reillers said they had family and work commitments and I know they have but surely time could have been set aside to see if anything, no matter how small could have been done to try to resolve something.

If it's as simple as the players not wanting to go back under Mc Carthy, then that's fine but you'd think that the leaders could have went along and expressed that view to Kelleher. In any strike situation, you don't see the whole factory going in to meet the Labour Relations agency. The leaders negotiate on behalf of the rest.


The statement makes for some very grim, tragic, sad and unfortunate reading.

A lot of damage has been done as past few months, regardless of where the blame lies.

Mc Carthy talks about stying on for 2 years and has asked for the support of the public in the meantime. Expectation levels in Cork for this season will have fallen. But who knows what will happen in the coming months ?.

Maybe some of the striking players will drfit back to the fold, maybe, maybe not ? Even if they do, that will bring its own problems.

I think you can safely assume from this that this dispute in its current form is over.


Will another civil war of sorts break out ?.

Hopefully not.

As I said in previous posts, everyone will have lost something in this. It's honestly a sad day for the GAA and Cork hurling in particular.

[orangeman]

Statement from the Cork County Board

Cork County Board is extremely disappointed at the decision of the players not to engage in talks under the independent chairmanship of Olann Kelleher or, indeed, with any independent chairman. Sincere appreciation is expressed of Mr Kelleher's sustained efforts to assist in resolving the impasse.

The idea of independently chaired mediation arose at the recent county convention and followed various unsuccessful efforts by board officers and other interested parties to get the players to sit down and discuss the issues they had.

The players indicated that they would not accept the parameters set down by convention and in an attempt to break the deadlock, the county board chairman, Diarmuid O' Suilleabhain, asked that talks involving all players, the county board officers and the management team, led by Gerald McCarthy, would take place, under the independent chairman appointed at the wish of the convention. That proposition has now been rejected by the players.

The last few months have been very difficult for everyone involved, players, management and board members and have been very damaging to Cork hurling. No county can afford the loss of talented players and Cork is no exception. That is why so many efforts have been made to resolve the difficulties.

Gerald McCarthy has the board's full support. He has been an outstanding player for Cork and an outstanding and knowledgeable coach of his club, St. Finbarr's and both of Cork and Waterford. The board is convinced that he is the right man to lead Cork forward.

We would appeal to the players to reconsider their positions but there has to be a realisation that the entire focus now must be on the preparation of the Cork senior hurling team for the forthcoming League and Championship.



I didn't know Diarmuid was chair ?.

The CB statement makes it clear that they are really standing behind their man.