County final programme omitted important facts

HAVING attended the county hurling finals last week at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, I, like most neutrals, felt sorry for Cloyne losing out for the third year on the trot in the senior final.

The presence of Carbery men on three of the four sides whetted the appetite of patrons from west Cork in the build up to these finals.

As a supporter of Kilbrittain, who endured three intermediate county final losses before eventually winning at the fourth attempt, I hope perhaps that Cloyne can take heart from this.

If they do manage to get their hands on the coveted Sean Og Murphy cup, I hope that they will not be embarrassed or insulted down the line like the Kilbrittain club and supporters, whose sole hard-earned intermediate county title appears to have been airbrushed from the county final programme’s “roll of honour” list.

Surely, more attention to detail should be given to these facts, particularly on such red-letter days like the county finals. It is omissions like these that tarnish the credibility of the programme producers as well as the public face of the association.

Such lack of decorum and homework during the presentation would, I’m sure, also be remembered by the Bishopstown club and captain, not to mention the Castlelyons Pipe Band.

In reference to our All-Ireland three-in-a-row attempt, it is possible that this general apathy could just as easily have spilled over onto the Cork training camp in a misguided way when the records show that going back over 40 years, Cork and Kilkenny have clashed in 12 All-Ireland finals, with victory going to Kilkenny on eight occasions and Cork just four — not a lot of scope for complacency on those facts.

Sean Quinlan

Bawnleigh

Ballinhassig

Co Cork