The Cork Hurlers

What's the story with the Cork hurlers?
Let me tell you.

The Secretary of the Cork County Board is a man named Frank Murphy.
He has been in this job for about 35 years now.
The dogs on the street say that he writes his own pay cheque.
No-one seems to know how much.
The County Board don't seem to believe in having an agenda prior to meetings.
They like "surprise" votes.
They had one of these in Feb of this year.
Delegates were unprepared. Clubs had given them no instructions as to how they should vote, because they didn't know there would be a vote.
People in Cork GAA have learned not to cross Frank.
If they do, then they say that there is a price to pay.
Fixtures miles from home.
General control stuff.
Delegates have learned not to vote against Frank, so they don't.

In 2002, the Cork hurlers faced Frank.
Their conditions were very poor - e.g. having to pick a corner in the gym in which to pee; poor diet, care, physio etc...
They went on strike.
Things improved a bit, but it seems that Frank never forgave them.
How dare they!
Many people in Cork believe that Frank foisted the previous far from successful Manager Gerald McCarthy on the Cork hurlers for one reason, and one reason only.
He knew that it would cause ructions.
People say that he hoped that a few of them e.g. Seán Og, Donal Og, Joe Deane, the Rock would retire, fed up with Frank and his yes men in the Cork County Board.
It didn't work out like that.
All 30 hurlers said STOP.
Frank's response? Hire a PR company to sling mud at the players.
Bad mistake. The Cork people love these lads.
10,000 marched in support of them.
Frank ignored 10,000 fans.
It is his way or no way.
To hell with Cork hurling.

The Manager was appointed in a democratice fashion, Frank says.
Was he?
The players said - anyone but Gerald Mac.
We can't win a bit with him.
We will not play for him.
Frank didn't tell the Board that piece of the jig-saw.
Then he pulled another good one.
Set up the vote for Gerald Mac (hurling) AND Conor Counihan (football) in the one vote!!!
Counihan seems to have what it takes, and has huge support.
Gerald Mac? Not really, but he seems to be Frank's man.
Counihan was definitely going to get the votes, so what better way of getting Gerald in than by having a vote like this.
Democratic?

What about Gerald McCarthy's role in all of this?
The players do not want him.
He has a proven track record (2 years as manager) of not being good enough.
He should have gone months ago, as managers generally do when they have lost the dressing room.
He refuses to budge.
Some say that he is being used by Frank.
Could be true. I don't know.
Could it be that he is putting personal interests before Cork hurling?
Surely not?
I don't know.

The players are making a stand against an undemocratic system.
It would be much easier for them to say nothing, put up with it, play knowing that they would not win with this man as their leader...
BUT - they are winners. They know what winning feels like. They know how to win. They know that they cannot win with Gerald McCarthy. They are not prima donnas. They do not want to choose their manager. They want to win. These lads train several times a week, they give their all to Cork for no financial gain. The people who are trying to degrade them, however, receive pretty hefty financial gain.

Support our hurlers was the byword for the March in February.
Another protest is now being organised for the 8th of March.
Why not at today's hurling match?
The organisers feel that it might become violent.
Also, people have vowed not to pay in to a hurling match until this is resolved.
Cork fans are happy to support the footballers and at the same time let the country know their views.
It might be one of the last times that Cork people get to watch the footballers too, because they have vowed to stop playing also if the dispute is not resolved to the hurler's satisfaction.

Here is the message:

IGNORED BY THE BOARD

March 8th - 2 p.m. Kennedy Park.............

To attend the Cork football match at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.

Dress code : Rebel.

If they want to ignore us on the street, we will have to take our message to them..........the last time it was for the players, this time it's for US!!!!


Frank Murphy and Gerald McCarthy and the Cork County Board thought that they would get away with fielding another squad! It has gone down like a lead balloon. About 40 - 50 young hurlers refused to play in this so-called 09 development squad. The lads who agreed to play are making a big mistake. Cork people will not forget that they have effectively breached a picket line. Word on the street has it that the County Board are grooming another set of lads for when / if the footballers go! Cork will erupt if that happens.

Some will say - Would they ever shut up, down there in Cork! We have far worse problems in the country!!
We have.
Problems created by people who think that they are above the rest of us.
People who have one rule for us and another for themselves.
People who are greedy.
People who are incompetant.
The Cork situation is a microcosm of what is wrong with our entire country.
The Cork hurlers are standing up and being counted.

Stand beside them.