THE MESSAGE from Cork’s junior clubs may be loud and clear in support of the county’s 2008 hurlers — but much of their widespread backing won’t reach the floor of next Tuesday’s crucial county board meeting, it has emerged.
An array of junior clubs have come out in favour of removing Gerald McCarthy as Cork coach and of reform of County Board structures but most divisional boards — which represent such smaller clubs — have no plans to meet ahead of Tuesday.
Carrigdhoun PRO Jim Forbes said the votes being taken amongst their clubs had only been mentioned under correspondence at the last meeting and had not been discussed. Carrigdhoun’s next board meeting is due to take place on March 23.
Seandún PRO Derek Connolly said the city board had no plans to meet before next Tuesday’s county board meeting and that the matter of votes being taken in clubs had not been discussed. Carbery has no plans to meet until after Tuesday night’s meeting, as they are awaiting confirmation of county championship fixtures.
Beara and Duhallow are both expected to discuss the issue at their next board meetings. The West Cork division will mandate their delegate ahead of the county board meeting. "The Beara board met last night," said Beara delegate Mick Reynolds, "but a vote has been put off until after the meeting in Clonakilty (tonight)."
The Duhallow board will meet on Monday night, when it is expected that the current impasse will be discussed after several of the division’s 17 junior clubs have held special meetings to vote on the 08 players’ motions.
Both the Muskerry and Avondhu boards do not have meetings planned ahead of next Tuesday night. Muskerry PRO Aubert Twomey stated that their next board meeting is scheduled for Monday week and that the bulk of the division’s eight junior clubs will be holding meetings on the issue. Avondhu PRO Paddy Ryan revealed that the majority of the 18 junior clubs in their division will be staging egm’s either tonight or tomorrow night, and that the next board meeting will take place next Wednesday night.
St Michael’s football club will hold an egm in Dunlop’s social Club on Thursday, March 19.
Ironically the Cork 2008 panel received further support from clubs who voted on the issue on Wednesday night. Na Piarsaigh, home club of Sean Óg O hAilpín and John Gardiner, backed the 2008 players decisively — on the call for Gerald McCarthy’s removal, the vote was 128-8 for, and one void, while on the issue of club delegates reverting to clubs before voting, it was 130-1 for, and four spoiled votes.
Ballincollig also supported the players by an emphatic margin (119-28) on Gerald McCarthy’s removal and one void, and on the subject of delegates referring to clubs when voting, it was 131-16 for and one spoiled.
The Eire Óg club voted in favour of the 2008 player on the Gerald McCarthy issue but did not take a vote on the delegate motion.
Ballymartle, Banteer and Lyre also backed the player motions by large majorities, and the meetings continue this evening with Glen Rovers, Carrigtwohill, O’Donovan Rossa and Castlehaven all meeting.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, March 06, 2009
