Church Backs Cork County Board

Catholic Church Backs County Board
Alan Ger


The Cork hurling dispute reached a new low this week as the Catholic Church aligned itself with the Cork County Board in the on-going "crisis". Cork's hurlers are refusing to play under current boss Gerald MacCarthy who has assembled a make-shift continuity squad in their absence.

We all know where the power really lies

In a true but cringing flashback to the sixties Fr. Bernie Cotter "read" Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and John Gardiner from the altar during a commemoration mass in a thinly veiled rant. He made reference to the player's performances against Kilkenny in the 2008 All Ireland semi-final.

"Who was the man who gained the man of the match award in the All-Ireland hurling semi-final? Eoin Larkin. Who was he marking? Cork's right half-back [John Gardiner]."

"Who is the man who came out from the corner and stole points on the other wing? Eddie Brennan. Who was marking him? [Seán Óg Ó hAilpín]"

These despicable remarks against two of Cork's finest servants - and indeed model Corkmen - are an insult that one would not hear on the terraces from Dublin fans on Hill 16.

Gardiner is the current captain and Ó hAilpín is a former All-Ireland winning captain himself, famously making his victory speech in Croke Park as gaeilge. Unhelpful, entrenching and offensive outbursts like this from a superstitious priest are only a step or two above the nonsense one would hear from a Waterford mouth on the slopes of Semple Stadium.

Didn't we agree that Irish priests and sport don't mix?

Perhaps in his claims that Cork was the "laughing stock of the country", Fr. Bernie hoped that the bells of irony would ring so loud around Cork that this week's headlines regarding the secret Cloyne report on sexual abuse in East Cork by his own organisation would be drowned out by his own inane ramblings. Both the government and the diocese are refusing to publish the report - a far more worrying concern than a hurling dispute.

As a true Corkonian it is not your remit to care what the weaker thirty-one counties think about the Rebel County. It is however your duty as a Corkonian to care about the welfare of children everywhere - particularly those on your own doorstep.

Appallingly the diocese is refusing to publish the controversial report into the abuse of children by the Catholic Church. In short, we don't know if the offending white collared monsters are still at large.

Like his superiors who hoped that child abuse allegations would just go away and not pest their authority, Cotter also wants to bury his head in the sand in the vain hope that the accusations about Frank Murphy's long term inept leadership will do the same. Interestingly the Cork County Board and the Catholic Church are two of very few institutions whose rulers who cannot be deposed by those beneath.

MACCARTHY NOW IN DENIAL
Meanwhile instead of remaining dignified to protect his reputation as a player in the seventies, Cork's current bainisteoir-on-paper Gerald MacCarthy appears to be slipping further into denial about the dispute. Another chronic symptom of the rudderless leadership of Cork GAA.

Seán Óg bulldozing the Cats

Bordering on what any Cork supporter might be forgiven for describing as delusional, the St. Finbarr's man described the announcement of the new hurling squad to play in the Waterford Crystal Cup as "an exciting new time for Cork hurling".

This is clearly the least exciting time for Cork hurling since a stick was first used to hit a sliothar yet MacCarthy has retracted into a bizarre world of self-convincing normality.

This, possibly Irish affliction, of trying to pretend everything's alright when it's not has always ended up causing more damage when the cards finally come tumbling down. Like the economy. And planning corruption. And problems with priests.

MacCarthy and the County Board seem to believe that the problems lie in things like "pride in the jersey", "cop on" and other simple-minded clichés.

The single issue on the table is nothing to do with these and all about his presence. The ordinary supporters who buy jerseys and tickets and a major mobile phone brand due to pump tens of thousands into the County Board's coffers can only stay quiet for so long. Especially in a recession. The CCB and Ger MacCarthy are lucky Cork GAA supporters aren't as organised as the CCFC fan club for example.

By its nature, the longer this dispute goes on the more the heat is going to be turned up on MacCarthy until he resigns or is pushed out. Unfortunately for him, it looks like it can only go one way.

Like Fr. Cotter, he is relying on the favour of one man and a book of rules until his number is eventually called.


 
 
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