Kevin O’Donovan on Cork hurling: ‘There is no easy answer. This is going to be a slow grind’

Cork County Board’s coaching officer Kevin O’Donovan has challenged the clubs in the county to be drivers of change.

At last Tuesday night’s county board meeting, in the wake of Cork’s disappointing defeat to Tipperary in the Munster SHC, O’Donovan acknowledged Cork hurling was in crisis and suggested that directors of hurling and football be appointed.

While the Kilmeen/Kilbree clubman has been pleased with the level of positive feedback received, he is calling on the clubs to now help bring about the changes.

“There has been a hugely positive response from grassroots, lots of people have been getting in contact, lots of people with ideas and wanting debate,” he says.

“That’s my main objective, to start the debate. I don’t have the answers, but I know the answers are out there. I’m on the strategic review committee and there’s loads of work going on, but sometimes that concerns me — sometimes, the more committees you have, the harder it is to get change.

“I’m sticking more to the floor of county board. Every club is represented on that floor, down to the smallest club in county Cork, and they fought hard for that right five or six years ago, to allow junior clubs in. They have to come on now, it’s time to use that vote to make decisions. There is no easy answer. This is going to be a slow grind. If we leave the personalities out of it, issue by issue by issue, we can sort it. It’s not sexy stuff, it’s a long, hard grind but that’s the way it is.”

Given the perception of the county board as a largely conservative outfit, O’Donovan’s comments raised eyebrows in some quarters.

“It’s not a solo run,” he insisted, “because I’m talking to coaches and people involved every day of the week, whether it’s GDAs about work or coaches about development squads or club development. I’m not interested in a solo run.

“Do we have to have consensus on everything before we speak? No, of course not. Life would be very boring if we all agreed. Was I speaking on behalf of anyone else? No, I was speaking on my own behalf but it’s based on what I’m hearing every day out there, it’s as simple as that.”

O’Donovan feels that being on the executive has left him removed to an extent from the debate at grassroots, and in that regard he underlines just how important it is to have as wide a range of input as possible.

“The executive is 14 different people, and trying to describe 14 different people in one sentence is impossible,” he says.

“All of the executive have different views and we try to work together to get a consensus to make decisions.

“There’s a danger for all us in being removed because everybody can’t be everywhere. Unless you’re listening to people every day and willing to hear alternative views, you end up removed. I feel that danger myself, since I went on the county board I’m spending less time at matches, less time on pitches, so I’m concerned for that myself rather than accusing anyone else of it.”

Getting everyone to row together, with the goal of improving Cork GAA, is the key now.

“There’s probably a lot of pent-up frustration, but people have ideas and concerns,” O’Donovan says.

“Now is a good time to discuss it — when we’re in the spotlight. There’s no time like the present. I would say that there are a lot of people waiting for an opportunity to come forward and give ideas and give help and that’s after happening now. The key thing is we don’t start getting engaged in this personality stuff. If we stick to issues, we can solve it on the floor at the county board, it’s as simple as that.

“We can talk about ideas and we can talk about strategies and committees and so on, it’s on the floor off the county board you will get change and you will get ideas through. It will come back to the clubs. It’s very easy for me to be throwing out ideas but it comes back to the clubs and it comes back to the floor of the board. That’s the only place you’ll get change.”