Public blood-letting will not help Clare in latest stand-off
Without being very close to the scene it is hard to comment on particular cases. Nevertheless, it is something that I don’t enjoy or wouldn’t encourage.
However, it seems certain that if proper lines of communication between all parties, management, players and county boards were in place this all too-frequent development would be nipped in the bud.
The Clare hurlers are the latest inter-county group to dip their toe in these particular murky waters. An unsigned letter was sent to their county board requesting management change this year. The media descended on the board’s monthly meeting in anticipation of some public blood-letting last week.
But, thankfully, no blood was spilled, no word was spoken against the manager and the board confirmed that Mike McNamara had another season of a two-year term to serve.
The chairman of the board, Michael O’Neill, produced a master-class of governance. He backed his trainer, indicated he’d listen to the players and would arrange a meeting between all interested parties to sort things out! Brilliant, simple and logical.
So, hopefully, that meeting will take place, the players have their say and their concerns are listened to. If that happens, Clare can knuckle down to business and do themselves justice.
Indeed, in some respects Clare haven’t done all that badly in recent years, considering their golden oldies were going grey and they had no under-age success to build on.
Admittedly it was a year to forget from a senior perspective but the Munster and subsequent All-Ireland U21 was a huge shot in the arm for hurling in this proud county.
Clare can now smell the return of the glory years once again. But its not going to happen overnight. Clare rushed Tony Considine out of office too quickly. It would be unwise to make the same mistake again.
Mike McNamara is a genuine GAA man. I first met Mike in the fall of 1998, the year of the infamous Colin Lynch suspension.
Mike, who was a Clare selector was also manager of the Munster Railway Cup team. I was staying in a Kilkenny hotel ahead of the game and around 4am I was awakened by Mike and his son coming into the room.
The two had travelled through the night to Kilkenny after closing his pub in Clare. All rooms were occupied in the hotel but the night staff gave him a key to my room as it had a spare bed.
That was the first time I had met Mike McNamara. We chatted for a while before we went to sleep. Now, a man who is prepared to travel through the night to manage a Munster hurling team at a time when there was a stand-off between his county and the provincial council is a dedicated man.
I hope Michael O’Neill’s undoubted diplomatic skills can sort out whatever problems exist within the Clare set-up and that they can get on with building a great team once again. The last thing hurling or Clare needs now is another implosion. The Banner have a bright future but must take things one step at the time.
2010 promises to be one such big step. Public blood-letting will not help their cause.
