Rebel strike throws Cork hurling into state of chaos

HURLING in Cork was thrown into chaos last night after the county’s senior squad went on strike.

Players’ representatives said they had broken off negotiations with GAA chiefs in Cork after two meetings failed to make any progress on a series of grievances.

Allstar attacker Joe Deane said the 30 players made the decision to withdraw their services with immediate effect “after much deliberation and torment”. He added: “It has been an enormous decision for each of us, and one which we have all dreaded having to make. But the current difficulties have been many years in the making.”

The stand-off leaves Cork hurling without a coach, without a team, and facing the prospect of being unable to field a team for their opening Allianz Hurling League tie next February.

Deane and six of his inter-county colleagues - Mark Landers, Fergal Ryan, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Sean Óg Ó hAilpín, Alan Browne and Donal Óg Cusack - also felt the intervention of a mediator would be pointless, such was the chasm between both sides.

They also believe senior selector and Cork County Board secretary Frank Murphy has exerted an “undue influence” over fellow team selectors, though the players stated Mr Murphy was only one of a number of issues they were concerned about.

Chief among these are training facilities, match preparation and reimbursement for loss of earnings. The players made public correspondence with the county board executive, in which Joe Deane describes management’s attitude as “shocking and upsetting”. He wrote: “We believe the executive has shown a lack of integrity in the process, engaging in little more than ‘window dressing’ and has no intention to either address the concerns of the players or to even conceded that the players’ concerns and their mandate are valid.”

County board chiefs refused to comment last night, but sources said they were angered by the players’ breach of a confidentiality clause agreed when discussions began in September.

The players have urged their club delegates to address the issue at Cork’s annual convention at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, when county secretary Murphy may break his silence on the furore.

The impasse will also impact on the Cork footballers, with dual star Diarmuid O’Sullivan confirming he had also withdrawn his services from Larry Tompkins’ Munster championship winning squad.

Asked how they would answer to the hurling-mad Cork public, Donal Óg Cusack said: “We would like to think that the Cork public are behind us in this unfortunate situation.”