GAA: It remains to be seen where Cork hurling saga will go from here but county board chairman Jerry O'Sullivan felt Olann Kelleher had no option but to step down as independent chairman after manager Gerald McCarthy last night ruled out further talks with senior players.
O’Sullivan finds himself somewhere between a rock and a hard place in his efforts to bring the impasse to an end because he was responsible for bringing Kelleher on board, while his sons Dairmuid and Paudie were both members of last year’s senior panel.
Last night McCarthy issued a lengthy 700 word statement insisting that all potential avenues for discussion between the two parties have been exhausted. He now intends to press forward without 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.”
When speaking on RTÈ RadioO'Sullivan was also in agreement that the process was "going nowhere" and could have "gone on forever". That said, he remains hopeful some of last year's panel will make themselves available and reiterated McCarthy would welcome them back to the fold.
“Gerald McCarthy has said on numerous occasions and he still says that he would welcome the return of any player who makes himself available for selection for the Cork hurling team,” said O’Sullivan.
“I myself would certainly welcome any of the players as well if they made themselves available, because we all know what they have contributed to the Cork hurling scene in particular both at club and inter-county over the last number of years.
“It would be a shame if they were not available to us for the coming year.”
O’Sullivan also praised Kelleher’s efforts in attempting to find a resolution but accepted the independent chairman could do no more.
“This process came about as a result of a motion passed at our annual convention that we would attempt to have a meeting between players, management, board officers under an independent chairman.
“We have been endeavouring over the last number of weeks to bring this about and we have failed to do so. In fairness to Olan Kelleher, he worked very hard at it and we very much appreciate it, but it just didn’t come about and he had no alternative I suppose but to step aside from the process.
“That is the end of that particular process as far as we’re concerned.”
McCarthy intends working with the younger players available to him, while still leaving the door open for last year’s panel.
“I don’t know if it’s an impossible task. Managing any inter-county team is a tough task nowadays, but Gerald is well able for the job,” added O’Sullivan. “As a county board now we have to give our full backing and our entire focus will be on the preparation of the Cork senior hurling team for the upcoming league and championship.”