McCarthy admits he does not have backing of Cork hurlers

[orangeman]

Well done to the 2008 - you'se can go the grave happy now !!!!!!   Absoutely pathetic - a good day for Cork hurling ? A good day for the GAA ? A good day for the 2008 panel ? Cork hurling saved ?




A few days ago, my father who is in his mid-eighties, pleaded with me to step down after one of my sons, in my absence abroad, received the latest threat against me. The threat against my life, which has been referred to the Gardai, is the latest in a sequence of threats and abuse, random or organised I do not know, which I and my family members have had to endure over the past few months.
Given the kind of vitriol at recent public meetings and indeed in some media commentary, it is hardly surprising that thugs have attached themselves to the 'cause' of the 2008 hurlers. I cannot continue to expect a family even as supportive as mine to withstand that pressure and possibly to put their own safety at risk.

This latest threat is one of two tipping points that have occurred in recent weeks. It's been a long and difficult four months. With any willingness on the part of the players, the dispute could have been resolved almost as soon as it began.

[tyronefan]

this is a disgrace the way Ger  Mc Carthy has been used as a pawn between the CCB and the county players

good luck to him in the furture  he is well away from these bunch of langers on both sides

[Reillers]

A post from Newry member on Cork GAA..

First post here although being observing the site for a few months, thanks to Owenabue for sorting that for me.

Below is a letter my club have sent to the Examiner at the weekend for publication along with one from another club in Down, I think this gives a better understanding of the type of hurling people that Donal Og, Sully and their colleagues are than any of the snide remarks being made to try and indulge in character assasination.
In Newry's experience Cork's Senior Hurlers are true Gaels

A chara,
            I hope you will permit me a few lines to publicly thank members of the Cork Senior Hurling team of 2008 for their continued support for hurling development in Newry and indeed Co Down in general. At the outset I want to state that I'm no apologist for the GPA or with an axe to grind with GAA officialdom as I sit myself on both the Down Hurling Board and Ulster Hurling committee thus I'm fully aware of the valuable role that administrators play within the GAA. However,I have been prompted to write this in the wake of continued attempts, bordering in some cases on character assassination, to portray this group of players as self-centred, interested only in themselves and on some type of ego trip to destroy the fabric of the GAA. I want the Cork hurling public to get some understanding of the true nature of these players and the often unseen efforts they make to promote hurling in the "backwaters" that have been continually ignored by the powers that be whose job it should be to develop hurling!  Only last week we had the pleasure of once again hosting Diarmuid O 'Sullivan in Newry for our annual juvenile hurling awards and to launch the building of our hurling wall as part of our continued progress on our ten year development plan. In the past four years Donal Og Cusack and Diarmuid O'Sullivan have been regular visitors to our club, helping to launch our schools coaching initiative four years ago which has proved to be the springboard for the rejuvenation of juvenile hurling in Newry. Before their first visit hurling in Newry was on its last legs but over the following years with their continued support we have reached the situation where our juvenile hurlers are meeting and beating the Ards clubs at U12/10 level and matching the best in Ulster ,not for one moment am I suggesting this is the sole reason but the publicity they create coupled with hugely increased numbers attending training in the wake of their visits to the local schools is a significant factor. When you read all the press reports about senior Cork players being egotistical, interested only in themselves and in some way seeking to undermine the ethos of the GAA I can assure the public of Cork that the reality as borne out by their efforts is Newry couldn't be further from the truth, indeed I genuinely believe that if the GAA hierarchy was as interested in promoting and developing hurling in weaker counties as these two players and their colleagues hurling would be in a significantly stronger position across the country.

Not only have they helped promote hurling in Newry but throughout Down. I have had the privilege of coaching the Down minor hurling team in the past and both players have taken time out to help coach these players on more than one occasion particularly on our visit to Cork in 2006. This visit was almost singly organised by Donal Og, he organised the challenge match for us, the talk with Sean Og who also arranged to take time out to speak to the players along with a training session which Donal Og conducted himself, basically he gave up his whole weekend to help a group of hurlers from over 200 miles away, those actions say more about the true nature of this fellow gael than any number of press statements or media interviews to the contrary. Anytime we have asked Donal Og or Diarmuid to visit they have always agreed often at short notice, last week was a case in point where at very short notice Diarmuid agreed to travel north again not only to visit schools in the locality and conduct our awards night (with over 70 juveniles attending our U14-U8 awards on Saturday) but on the Friday night he also went to Ballycran an additional round trip of a hundred miles to present the medals at their juvenile awards, surely those are the actions of a player genuinely interested in helping promote hurling and what is best for the game we all love.

It is always simple to look at the headlines in the papers or the spin being created by others for their own agenda without looking beyond this at people's actions on a regular basis away from the glare of the cameras and certainly if you asked the young hurlers of Newry and Down their opinion of the Cork Senior hurlers and in particular Donal Og Cusack and Diarmuid O'Sullivan it would be one of fellow gaels committed totally to the promotion and good of hurling who are always willing to take time out for the people that really matter, not administrators or all stars but the youth of Ireland who want to play the greatest game on this earth. Like all genuine hurling people I hope to see these great servants of our game return to the arena they belong in and ensuring that Cork regain their rightful place at the top of the hurling role of honour.

Is mise le meas
Cumann Iomana Iuir Cinn Tra


A chara,

Finally catching up on emails and text messages. I was sorry I missed Diarmuid because the feedback from all at the club was that they thought him an absolute gentleman and everyone enjoyed meeting him. They were particularly appreciative of the interest he took in all the kids and his willingness to chat and to pose for photographs.

I've copied Eamonn and Paul in to this note because of the kind offer Diarmuid made to spend time with the County Development squads in the Spring/Summer. We will galdly take him up on that offer.

My personal thanks to you for helping arrange the visit.



Seamas O hAonais

Cathaoirleach

Naomh Sheosamh Baile Crann

[orangeman]

They are cowards with no balls or backbone, there is no way in hell they had time to go back to their clubs, they are an absolute fuckin disgrace. And they think we'll take this lying down..

What exactly did you lads mean or have in mind Reillers ? Now that we've seen Gerald's statement, it looks very bad.

Any comment Reillers

[tyronefan]

Reillers  you can stop  telling us what lovely lads the 2008 panal are    

the way they went about this was wrong and the way they treated Mc Carthy was wrong

[EddieMerx]

shocking that he was getting threats, cowards.

[Reillers]

They are cowards with no balls or backbone, there is no way in hell they had time to go back to their clubs, they are an absolute fuckin disgrace. And they think we'll take this lying down..

What exactly did you lads mean or have in mind Reillers ? Now that we've seen Gerald's statement, it looks very bad.

Any comment Reillers

Are you kidding me OM.
When I said that I meant the clubs. How we, as the clubs wouldn't take it lying down and we didn't.

I would never nor did I ever EVER say anything of the sorts that you are trying to emply. I have always said and still believe that Gerald was a legend of a player. How dare you suggest that I even begin to mean what you think I mean. You've no right to do so, no right.

People in Cork, so called fans, a small minority I've no doubt, who have done that, are not true Cork GAA fans.
I don't condune what they've said, I think it's an absolute disgrace and how dare you ask me that.
He is a legend of a player and doesn't deserve that kind of abuse.

[orangeman]

Fair enough Reillers but those sort of angry comments are the sort that the cowards who threatened Mc Carthy might have picked up on.


This really is not a good day for anybody regardless of the probability that the shop stewards are doing somersaults in Cunningham's pub at the minute.

[bingobus]

Jaysus Reillers does a letter to a paper make everything alright. Are they the only IC players in Ireland who go out on limp to help other counties/clubs/schools etc. Take you head out of their ass and look at the bigger picture.

The first 2008 player that comes out and talks about Ger McCarthy about been a great Cork man/hurler etc should be slapped around the county. The man has suffered no end in this by the "grassroots" that have been mobilised against him by the 2008. If you think it was the clubs that moved McCarthy you are very sadly mistaken. No doubt the 2008 squad are packing their new adidas kit bags with their new adidas training kit, lifting their lynx spray and Club energise into their sponsored cars, as they ring the wife on their free O2 phone to ask the wife to check their Halifax mortgage statement is in order and then head to meet Ger as the new manager.

I seriously hope that the clubs follow through with their motions et al and that they remove the entire CB include Jerry O'Sullivan. It has to be a complete clean slate. JOS was the chairman of the CB when this happened, therefore the buck stops at him and like any chairman he must take full responsibility. FM should also step aside and let someone else take his role.

[zoyler]

Sure are some nice people floating about in Cork GAA playing and supporting circles. Can't wait for the crocadile tears from the 2008 junta.

[EddieMerx]

Emply??? were you on strike during English class in Cork

[heffo]

They are cowards with no balls or backbone, there is no way in hell they had time to go back to their clubs, they are an absolute fuckin disgrace. And they think we'll take this lying down..

What exactly did you lads mean or have in mind Reillers ? Now that we've seen Gerald's statement, it looks very bad.

Any comment Reillers

When I said that I meant the clubs. How we, as the clubs wouldn't take it lying down and we didn't.

Were those words your own or did you copy and paste them from rebelgaa?? Some Cork 'fans' whoever they are didn't take it lying down anyway

Can Teddy Mac be considered the new favourite or do him and Donal not get on??

[zoyler]

BTW I hope Cork GAA have the financial resources to come up with the funds necessary to ay FM his severence package!!  I'd say thats what the 2008 panel were really upset about and will be ;ooking for something similar!

[heffo]

Jaysus Reillers does a letter to a paper make everything alright. Are they the only IC players in Ireland who go out on limp to help other counties/clubs/schools etc. Take you head out of their ass and look at the bigger picture.

The first 2008 player that comes out and talks about Ger McCarthy about been a great Cork man/hurler etc should be slapped around the county. The man has suffered no end in this by the "grassroots" that have been mobilised against him by the 2008. If you think it was the clubs that moved McCarthy you are very sadly mistaken. No doubt the 2008 squad are packing their new adidas kit bags with their new adidas training kit, lifting their lynx spray and Club energise into their sponsored cars, as they ring the wife on their free O2 phone to ask the wife to check their Halifax mortgage statement is in order and then head to meet Ger as the new manager.

I seriously hope that the clubs follow through with their motions et al and that they remove the entire CB include Jerry O'Sullivan. It has to be a complete clean slate. JOS was the chairman of the CB when this happened, therefore the buck stops at him and like any chairman he must take full responsibility. FM should also step aside and let someone else take his role.

+1

[heffo]

BTW I hope Cork GAA have the financial resources to come up with the funds necessary to ay FM his severence package!!  I'd say thats what the 2008 panel were really upset about and will be ;ooking for something similar!

Perhaps if the shortfall is something approaching what the Powerade lads trousered ahead of the clubs the powerade lads could dig deep and give the CCB a sub??