Offaly hurling faces a crisis over the next eight days in the aftermath of Birr's expulsion from the county championship. As the current Leinster club champions consider an appeal against the suspension handed down on Wednesday night, there is speculation that the club's intercounty players are planning to withdraw from the panel if the club is not reinstated.
Whereas the county board is not making any comment on the possible withdrawal, it has been established that at least one senior player was in contact with Offaly manager Pat Fleury as soon as the suspension was handed down by the county's General Purposes Committee and that the ramifications of the situation were spelt out.
Birr secretary Johnny Tooher was last night at pains to distance the club from any boycott of the county panel. "I have not spoken to the players yet but this has not been driven by the club in any way," he said.
The controversy comes just weeks before the championship match with Wexford, and Offaly are already hit by injury, as All Star John Troy has broken a finger.
Birr - All-Ireland champions in 1995 and '98 - accounted for four of the team which started last year's All-Ireland semi-final, which was narrowly lost to eventual champions Cork, plus a number of replacements. Included in the team is twice Hurler of the Year Brian Whelahan, his brother Simon, Johnny Pilkington and Joe Errity.
The controversy arises from a group-stage championship match between St Rynagh's and Birr, originally scheduled for Easter Sunday. When dual player John Ryan was selected for the NFL, Division Two semi-final against Cavan, also on Easter Sunday, the county hurling match was moved to the next day.
Birr had decided to present their Leinster championship medals on the Sunday night and hoped to have the Monday free. According to Tooher, they had received an indication that they would be accommodated in this.
"I contacted General Purposes secretary Martin Minnock and asked if we could have the Monday free. He replied that they didn't give free weekends but after checking the fixtures said that we could play Rynagh's on the 23rd (Easter Sunday). That was fine by us.
"Then on April 17th it was announced as an official fixture but a day later we were told that John Ryan had been picked for the footballers and that Rynagh's were not willing to play without him. The revised list had the fixture for the 24th. We held a meeting and appealed, proposing the match be played on the Saturday - that was turned down - or on a Sunday evening after John Ryan had come back from Mullingar but that was turned down as well."
Birr have seven days from today to appeal their ban. Tooher says that a decision will be made at the weekend. Meanwhile GAA president Sean McCague has announced the composition of his new players' committee. Under the chairmanship of former Armagh captain Jarlath Burns, the committee met for the first time last night.
Recommended last March by a report of the previous Players' Advisory Group, chaired by Noel Lane, it includes a number of All-Ireland medallists, Dara O Cinneide (Kerry), Sean McGrath (Cork) and Jody Devine (Meath).
Other prominent intercounty names include Kilkenny hurler Canice Brennan, Galway hurler Cathal Moore and Mayo and Ireland footballer James Nallen.
The committee consists of 16 players plus Burns. Players were empanelled on the basis of an intercounty hurler and footballer from each province together with a club player in either code, also from each province.
Its task will be to monitor the implementation of the former Players' Advisory Group Report and the Amateur Status Report and report on both by the end of November. It will also monitor the ongoing review of the Players' Injury Scheme. Last night's meeting was expected to elect the committee's representative on Central Council and a media liaison person.
Among its first tasks will be liaising with the new Commercial Agent, who will shortly be appointed by the GAA to manage product endorsement and commercial considerations on behalf of players. It will also have to devise a strategy for dealing with the recently-formed Gaelic Players' Association which has attracted a good deal of publicity and boasts a membership of 450.
PLAYERS COMMITTEE: Chairman - Jarlath Burns (Armagh); Intercounty - James Nallen (Mayo), Cathal Moore (Galway), Canice Brennan (Kilkenny), Jody Devine (Meath), Dara O Cinneide (Kerry), Sean McGrath (Cork), Dermot McArdle (Monaghan), Paul Coulter (Down); Club - Ollie Honeyman (Sean O'Heslin's, Leitrim), Damien Lohan (Four Roads, Roscommon), James Fahy (Parnells, Dublin), Seamus Spain (Kilcormac, Offaly), Leonard O'Hanrahan (Kilmihil), Stewart Barry (Tallow, Waterford), Dominic O'Reilly (Cavan Gaels, Cavan), Dessie Donnelly (Ballycastle, Antrim).
