John Fogarty: Hurling can't forget about ensuring fairer play

UCC's David Griffin in action against John Cashman of Blackrock at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Loughmore-Castleiney won’t want our pity or platitudes and they’re not going to get them. They know themselves what they did over these last 12 weeks was pretty special but it wasn’t enough.

The sting of Sunday’s second senior county final defeat in seven days won’t shift any time soon, particularly when it was compounded by how they were beaten by Kiladangan the previous Sunday.

Our approach to speak to them last week ahead of their senior county football final was politely turned down. The conversation was too civil as to suggest a media ban but we were informed there was great disappointment that more wasn’t made in the press about the circumstances of the hurling result, the exception being the Irish Examiner podcast.

Speaking to Ken Hogan directly after the game, he mentioned how cruel a loss it was as he would reiterate on the podcast. We replied that Loughmore should have played to the whistle. As it turned out, they did. The word from Loughmore is some of their defenders dropped their guard momentarily upon hearing referee Michael Kennedy’s whistle as Barry Hogan’s puckout following John McGrath’s 65 sailed over the halfway line.

Kennedy, who had a fine game in his first senior final, had earlier blown for puck-outs being taken too quickly so there may have been an assumption he was asking for it to be rehit. Afterwards, Loughmore-Castleiney manager Frankie McGrath bemoaned that it was allowed to be taken so quickly.

But Loughmore’s uncertainty appeared to stem from the fact that the clock behind Hogan’s Killanin End goal showed time was up and Kennedy had blown in open play. Yet Kennedy’s whistle shrilled just once, not thrice as he and referees usually do along with holding out their arms to signal full-time.

When we made that point to the Loughmore contact, he wasn’t buying it. Such was the strength of his conviction, we kept an ear out for all half-time and full-time breaks in several clubs games over the weekend and, sure enough, there were three blows of the whistle. Neither the GAA Official Guide nor the referees’ handbook recommends the end of a half be confirmed in such a way but it has long been the accepted signal.

The confusion could easily have been avoided with the use of the clock/hooter but the GAA sabotaged that plan some years ago, that in spite of them fitting most county grounds with the facilities. They also emphatically shot down the black card in hurling yet events in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday illustrated hurling’s problem with cynicism isn’t going to go away.

Early in the first half of extra-time, UCC’s Pádraig Power was put in one-on-one with Blackrock goalkeeper Gavin Connolly when Connolly cynically held him up. According to Irish Examiner analyst Ger Cunningham, “He took one for the team.”

In second-half additional time of the second game, and Erin’s Own trailing by four points, Ronan Curran, one of the cleanest hurlers we’ve seen play the game, commended Glen Rovers’ David Noonan for “top class defending” in dragging down Ronan Twomey as he made a beeline for goal.

We’ve been critical of the lack of street smarts in Cork hurling before so we can’t labour our point here but cynicism continues to pay in hurling and the reaction of Cunningham and Curran is indicative of that acceptance. The idea of a player being dismissed even if it is temporarily for such an act is clearly unacceptable but in such circumstances a penalty seems an appropriate punishment.

As club championships are completed despite such uncertain times, there is more of a willingness to overlook such matters. To make allowances, to bargain and to be grateful with what we’ve got. We mentioned before the flashpoints in the Kilkenny semi-finals earlier this month, which likely would have been viewed far more dimly were there decent-sized crowds at that double-header.

News last week that HawkEye’s presence in this year’s Championship hangs in the balance is a sobering one. The score detection system has become such a part of the furniture now that if it isn’t in Semple Stadium on October 25 or Croke Park when the first game is played there, the asterisk some are so keen to ascribe to this Championship will have some merit.

It isn’t just enough for the games to be played if the integrity of it can be questioned. John “Bubbles” O’Dwyer’s free to win the 2014 All-Ireland final would have been an incredible way to win it and but for HawkEye it could have. Yet in that moment the decision to invest in the technology was wholly justified as was Kilkenny’s crowning as champions in the replay.

As a game of skill, hurling has never stopped trying to get better. A pandemic shouldn’t be enough to stop it being fairer.

GAA deserved more State money

Ballyhale Shamrocks captain Richie Reid is lifted up by his teammates following their side's victory over Dicksboro at UPMC Nowlan Park. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Aside from the quality and relief of them being played, how will we remember the staging of these club championships? The summer of the great unwashed, given no club player has had the courtesy of a shower at a game, not even one who has been called ashore early?

Watching Shamrocks pack up after completing the three in a row in UPMC Nowlan Park on Sunday, the satisfaction was obvious and there was no lack of dignity in heading back to the cars without washing away the sweat of a job well done.

Still, it would have been nice, only that the majority of the Carroll Stand where the dressing rooms are situated is currently being used for Covid testing purposes. The test centre in the car park behind the stand, one of many which have been set up on GAA property for free, served as a reminder of what the GAA has provided during the pandemic other than its weighty social capital. The €15m the Government announced on Friday they will be providing the GAA, ladies football, and camogie inter-county championships is more than justified, not just for what light the competitions will provide in the coming months, but what they have done already.

The GAA carried news of the €15m on their own website yet there were no words of thanks from them, as is customary on such occasions. Were they disappointed with the allocation? Well-placed sources say they never expected the entire €19.5m they estimate it will take to hold the Championship but subtract monies to be given to ladies football and camogie and the figure is on the shy side bearing in mind how badly this Government want it.

Mouthwatering Championship fare good reason to stay at home

Cork's Patrick Horgan gets past Darragh Fives of Waterford during their 2017 Munster semi-final at Semple Stadium, where the teams will meet on October 31. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Asked at the end of Friday’s press conference if he would like to add anything that had been touched upon, GAA director of club, player, and games administration Feargal McGill mentioned the variety of throw-in times for the forthcoming Championship.

“Some of the fixtures are at unusual times on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said as latest updates on games were revealed. “But these are unusual times and we have throw-in times early on Saturday that we would not normally use but there are good reasons for that; a reminder that all games have to finish on the day, uniquely this year. The other thing worth highlighting is our TV plans, which will be very exciting and which we will be communicating next week.”

McGill, who has been to the fore for the GAA during the pandemic, leading the return-to-games drive, redrawing the current season, looking at the next, as well as adopting the split season, was referring to confirmation that every Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire Cup game will be broadcast on TV or online.

The obvious intention of the GAA is to ensure fans who can’t or are unable to attend their county’s matches get the opportunity to do see them. But such is the bounty of action provided that it is a good a reason as any to stay at home. For example, Halloween sees provincial SHC semi-finals as Cork face Waterford and Galway v Wexford, and a tasty Ulster SFC quarter-final derby between Cavan and Monaghan. The next day, there are another two hurling last-four games involving Kilkenny and Tipp and seven knockout football clashes including Donegal and Tyrone. In more ways than one, the GAA will be doing its bit for public health.

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