Michael Moynihan: Paid managers run contrary to ethos of the GAA

In an extract from his new book, Michael Moynihan welcomes readers to the strange world of the paid GAA manager — where cash incentives and perks such as apartment use and car models are the grammar of interaction

It’s accepted that clubs all over Ireland are paying managers, but standing that up in a court of law would defeat Woodward and Bernstein.

This is how the conversation goes. Johnny Green is at home watching the TV when his phone rings. It’s an unknown number, but that’s not unusual: As a former inter-county star working in sales, he’s used to random callers looking to talk about the products he’s selling as well as the most recent games.

And he keeps a separate phone for family members in any case. He’s also used to random callers making contact for a very specific reason. In any event, he answers.