Cork hurling manager Gerald McCarthy has described comments made by members of the county panel earlier in the week as “distasteful” and “grossly exaggerated” and courted the support of the grassroots in the county as his stand-off with the striking players intensifies.
While McCarthy claims to have already heard most of the grievances voiced by the players on Monday, he has taken particular umbrage with comments made by Kevin Canty, who said the manager was unaware he was in hospital before last year’s All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny.
Canty claimed: “Before the Kilkenny game, I spent some time in hospital. I went in on a Monday and it was the following Sunday before Gerald contacted me, and he told me he didn’t realise I was in there. Six days later before he contacted me. I thought it wasn’t good enough.”
McCarthy’s recollection is entirely different.
“Kevin Canty’s grievance that I failed to visit him earlier in hospital is disingenuous to say the least," he said in a statement today.
“How any young lad could stand up at a press conference to suggest that I was unmindful of the fact that he was in hospital, when he knew that I had visited him twice (and brought him some DVDs on my second visit) is deeply shocking to me. Many of the other players comments are invested with the same kind of construction and selectivity and confirm for me some of the influences that are at work here.
“I must say I am astonished that a simple incident like Kevin’s could have its way into the public domain and play any part in this dispute. I have always been aware of my responsibilities to players who are injured and have always exercised that duty of care to the best of my ability.”
On Monday night, the panel, led by John Gardiner, issued a statement that reiterated their call for McCarthy to be removed and for a restructuring of the county board.
Canty, along with other younger players such as Cathal Naughton, Shane O’Neill, Martin Coleman, Pa Cronin and Kevin Hartnett said they were offended by comments by McCarthy that they were being pressurised to oppose him by older players in the squad.
The players appealed to club delegates to force change on the county board that appointed McCarthy, despite the fact that he was the only person in Cork whom the panel had definitively stated that they did not want as manager.
McCarthy responded today by urging “big calls” from club representatives for the good of Cork hurling.
“As a result of this dispute, a lot of GAA people will be called on to make big calls in the next few weeks. The men and women who represent clubs are ultimately going to determine what set of values will shape Cork hurling for the future. And for me that’s worth fighting for.
“The people who mark the fields, who wash the gear, who ferry kids to games have a very important role in all of this. As far as I am concerned, they, and not the leaders of any group of elite players represent hurling in Cork.”
