Burns bemoans loss of McDonnell

FORMER ARMAGH football captain Jarlath Burns has described as “very, very disappointing” the revelations of departing county manager Peter McDonnell that his management team were “continually being sabotaged” and that it was the chief reason for him resigning from the position on Tuesday night.

“This is something Armagh has never experienced,” said Burns. “Not in the last 10 years anyway, when we’ve never been in the papers other than for the quality of our football. So I would be very, very disappointed if what come out is true.

“Peter McDonnell is a man I have great respect for. I would have been a supporter of him continuing for his third year. He’s a man who delivered against all the odds 13 years ago, with an Ulster club title for Mullaghbawn. He subsequently delivered an Ulster under-21 for Armagh, and an Ulster senior title last year. Surely that should be enough for us to have the confidence in that man to continue for a third year.

“Peter clearly felt there were circumstances beyond his control, which effected his ability to run the team, and if that is the case, it’s extremely disappointing.”

While McDonnell has yet to formally expand on the reasons behind his resignation, he outlined his feelings in an interview with yesterday’s Irish News. He claimed he and his selectors, Dennis Hollywood, Gary Mallon and Benny O’Kane, couldn’t continue because “it got to the stage when, no matter what we were trying to do, we felt we were being undermined”.

He added: “We have no issue with the county board and we have no issue with the vast majority of players. It’s an issue with certain bodies outside our team and outside our county board.

“We felt we were well equipped and up to the task and every man gave his all for the cause. However, from the start of the year, there were stories emanating from sources we found very difficult to identify.

“Articles about people walking away from the panel. There were articles referring to food poisoning and one thing or another. I did try to establish who was furnishing newspapers with this information, but drew a blank.

“Eventually, we did establish where it was coming from. There were stories created, there were fabrications going on, all with the purpose of undermining trust in the group and, indeed, public confidence in the group.”

According to Burns, who was speaking in Croke Park yesterday as chairman of the GAA’s national presentation committee, the future of Armagh is still healthy. “If you look at our defence, I think we have five defenders as good as you’ll have anywhere. At midfield as well we have no problem. It’s our forward line I suppose is an area we’re most concerned about. But you don’t replace players like Diarmuid Marsden or Oisín McConville overnight . . . Even Tyrone have a fear at the moment their forwards aren’t scoring enough.”

However, Burns ruled himself out of taking over the role, perhaps suggesting Armagh look again to a more established figure such as Joe Kernan. “There may come a time when that door is ajar for me, and I might be interested in it. I played for Armagh for 13 years, and missed a lot of my first three children’s childhood over it. We now have five children, and we’re enjoying them greatly . . . All my club will let me do is the under-10 team. Maybe they don’t think I’m good for anything else.”