One of the most influential GAA officials in the country has criticised referee Willie Barrett for his handling of last August's hurling semi-final. The match saw Cork lose to Offaly and relinquish their All-Ireland title in one of the season's biggest surprises.
In his report to next Sunday's county convention, Cork county secretary Frank Murphy comments on both the county team's and Barrett's performances. "The team did not play with the same fluency displayed in the Munster arena, and were not helped by some refereeing decisions."
Barrett's officiating at the Offaly-Cork match did not stir much immediate debate but a number of decisions rankled with Cork. A free against full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan was questionably awarded and resulted in a score; a free in the same player's favour was not awarded and an Offaly point from play ensued; and, famously, goakeeper Donal Cusack was penalised for taking his puck out from outside the designated line.
This was despite his Offaly counterpart Stephen Byrne being let away with 20 similar offences throughout the match and Cusack himself having gone unpunished on at least as many occasions until he was pulled up eight minutes from the end.
Nonetheless, the reference will be seen as provocative as Murphy, a former referee, was only last year chairman of the GAA's Games Administration Committee and in that capacity, one of three members of the Central Referees Appointments Committee.
Furthermore, a page later in the report he goes on to defend a refereeing decision which controversially assisted Cork in last summer's All-Ireland minor football semi-final. In the match against Derry, a Cork player, Kieran Murphy, received two yellow cards but was not ordered off by referee Gerry Kinneavy of Roscommon.
Derry lodged an objection with the Games Administration Committee and appealed its refusal to Central Council. That body didn't have the time to deal with the appeal - as they had to hear first a Cork counter-objection - which was heard instead by the GAA's Management Committee.
In respect of this incident, Murphy says the Derry objection and appeal to the Management Committee were turned down "primarily on the basis of a fundamental playing rule that provides that the match officials `shall decide on the field (Murphy's italics) all matters affecting play'."
Elsewhere Murphy is in more characteristically rigorous form, addressing the issue of senior intercounty championships. Having played a major role in piloting through both the experimental systems in football and hurling, he nonetheless calls for the championship formats to be reconciled.
"It is important too that the association be seen to be consistent in the adoption of similar systems and opportunities for counties in both hurling and football," he says.
He expresses the hope that Congress will act on the expiry of both experimental periods in 2002 and adopt into the Official Guide agreed systems for both championships.
But his most devastating criticism is reserved for critics of the current hurling championship, ". . . critically described as the `back-door system', the intention of this format was to give profile to the game by more high-quality games being provided in the All-Ireland series. In this it has been highly successful. Its purpose wasn't to improve individual county standards."
He also defends Offaly - the county which became something of a lightning conductor for complaints about the current system - on their record over the past three seasons. In response to suggestions that the integrity of the Leinster final was affected, Murphy draws attention to the fact that Kilkenny dominated Offaly just as comprehensively in the All-Ireland final as they had in Leinster.
"The argument hardly takes cognisance," he goes on, "of the wonderful contribution Offaly have made to the All-Ireland series over the past three years in which they have participated in some of the best games of hurling played in each of the series."
The Limerick county board executive and county hurling manager, Eamonn Cregan, could find themselves on a collision course. With the Gaelic Grounds unavailable because of redevelopment, the county board have agreed to Cork's overtures to play next summer's championship match between the counties at Pairc Ui Chaoimh although Cregan had pleaded for a neutral venue.
Meanwhile, Michael O'Sullivan is the new vice-chairman of the county board, beating off challenges from Pat Heffernan and Denis Noonan at Monday night's convention. James Hartigan and Rory Kiely held onto their positions as Munster Council representatives.
