CORK HURLING STAND-OFF:THE 2008 Cork hurling panel has issued a circular letter to intercounty panels around the country, outlining its position in the stand-off with county officials and manager Gerald McCarthy.

Signed by goalkeeper Dónal Óg Cusack, the letter seeks to address criticisms that the players’ dispute is unreasonable.

“Since 2002, the Cork hurling public and indeed the GAA public at large has been misled by a Cork executive driven by an agenda to take back ‘control’ at all or any cost. We would like to put the record straight for our playing colleagues.” It further states: “We do NOT want to choose our own manager. We do NOT want to cause trouble or difficulties. We do NOT want to sully the name of Cork GAA.”

Denying there has been any intimidation of younger panel members, the letter says positions taken represent a consensus before contrasting player-official relations in Cork with those in other counties.

“It is no coincidence that most of the regularly successful counties and management teams enjoy good relationships with their county boards with efficient lines of communication operating at all times. These are essentials.”

Claiming the players had been “naive” to get involved in a “sham” process to appoint a new hurling manager last autumn, the letter rejects the contention there had been any genuine engagement. “We expressed, privately, our reservations to the board about Gerald McCarthy after his two-year tenure . . . As we had attended meetings, the board believed we had ‘technically’ engaged in the process and ploughed on with the ratification.

“Out of respect to Gerald, we met him in private and expressed the views of the panel to him in person and in private. We explained we no longer had confidence in him as a manager. We also told him we believed he was being used by the board executive to further their agenda. He rejected our views. The Cork panel informed the board on numerous occasions that the only man we did NOT want as manager was Gerald McCarthy. Their response was to reappoint him immediately.”

The letter also criticises the nature of the exchanges that have taken place in public since the appointment last October, which was reaffirmed by last Tuesday night’s meeting of the county board, claiming McCarthy had “engaged in an unedifying PR battle opening and closing the door on the panel and issuing personalised attacks on certain individual players” and adding: “Forced to criticise the manager’s ability only as a coach and a manager due to the actions of the board executive, we have NOT commented on him personally.”

The letter reiterates the undertaking issued at the recent players’ media conference that the panel would disband if it failed to secure the support of the hurling public. The panel have invited club chairs and representatives from around the county to a meeting at the weekend to explain their position.

“After our press conference last week, we are now in the position where we are seeking the support of the Cork hurling public. If that support is not forthcoming we will disband as a panel and every player is free to return if he so wishes. We do not and will not hold any ill-feeling towards those who return or those currently involved with the Cork set-up. If the Cork GAA members are happy with the current county board situation, then so be it. If not, then the time has come for them to end this ridiculous series of disputes.”

The letter concludes by placing the dispute in the context of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) current discussions with Croke Park aimed at securing recognition of the players’ body by the GAA nationally. “The Cork squad has always supported the GPA philosophy – that the role of the modern-day player must be acknowledged and respected properly. This is an issue at the heart of the current negotiations between the GPA and the GAA on official recognition . . .”

In an interview with Cork’s Evening Echo 2008 captain John Gardiner defended the players’ decision to turn down an invitation to address Tuesday’s county board meeting. “Gerald McCarthy was allowed to bring two selectors and a former selector with him. We would have only had one speaker and it would have been completely unfair.”

CORK (SH v Tipperary): A Kennedy; E Keane, C Murphy, C O’Sullivan; J Moran, R Ryan, C Leahy; B Johnson, G O’Connor; T Óg Murphy, A Ryan, D Crowley; M Collins, A Mannix, E Cronin.