GARDAÍ IN Cork yesterday confirmed they have launched an investigation after a threat was made last weekend to kill then Cork senior hurling manager Gerald McCarthy if he didn’t step down from his position.

The investigation was launched after one of McCarthy’s sons received a phone call at the family home in Wilton on the southside of the city at around 10pm that night threatening that his father would be killed if he didn’t step down as Cork manager.

McCarthy was in holiday in Spain at the time, but the matter was reported to the gardaí in Togher and an investigation was launched, with detectives taking statements from both McCarthy and his son, who identified the caller as male.

McCarthy cited the incident as one of the main factors which had made him decide to resign as Cork hurling coach, despite having already endured some four months of criticism and controversy after the 2008 hurling panel refused to play for him.

“A few days ago, my father, who is in his mid-80s, pleaded with me to step down after one of my sons, in my absence, received the latest threat against me,” said McCarthy in a hard hitting statement released on Tuesday night.

“The threat against my life, which has been referred to the Gardaí, 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,” said McCarthy, who had insisted throughout the dispute he was properly chosen as Cork manager and would not be stepping down.

The Irish Timeshas learned that, in addition to the death threat made on Sunday night, McCarthy and his family have also been subjected to a series of intimidating and harassing phone calls to their Wilton home in recent weeks.

The calls, which involved the phone going silent as soon as it was answered, became so frequent the McCarthy family eventually gave up answering the phone, while McCarthy has also been subjected to verbal abuse on the streets in Cork.

Gardaí investigating the specific threat made on Sunday night have begun checking phone records in the hope of identifying the number from which the phone call was made and it’s expected that this may take some time as they liaise with service providers.

Meanwhile, while Seán Óg Ó hAilpín called for Cork County Board secretary Frank Murphy to step aside during the Cork hurling dispute, he adopted a conciliatory attitude yesterday.

“I think there is a gateway for players to go back now and get back to serious business, literally because if we thought the last four months was a battle, and it was, there is a bigger battle for players now to go back on the pitch and restore pride.

“I have no doubt there are going to be lessons learned on both sides, us as players and dealing with the county board and the way they have operated up to now. Frank (Murphy) and ourselves will have a hard look at ourselves and move forward. Hopefully, there will be a mechanism (put in place) for us to work closely together.”