GAA lacks the will to expand hurling, says Griffin
Suggesting that it’s being ‘marginalised,’ and that officials in some football counties show no interest in the promotion of hurling, the former Wexford manager believes that hurling’s future is ‘not safe.’
Speaking at the first annual Silversprings Moran Hotel (Cork) GAA Personality award function, Griffin said: “Hurling as a game is a second-rate game in its own Association, not to mind in its own country. Hurling is the most unique game of them all, but, it’s little use even repeating this among ourselves if it’s not going to get a ‘special position.’
“The reason why hurling is not spreading is because people in the GAA lack the will to spread it. There is no other reason whatsoever. We lack the will; we do not lack the ability.
“Hurling is part of our cultural identity. There is absolutely no reason why it cannot be grown more solidly throughout the country.’’
Backing up his words with action, he has conducted coaching sessions in Dunloy (who have qualified for this year’s AIB All-Ireland club final) and, more recently he visited Donegal. He is also active in his club in Rosslare.
Quizzed about the possibility of opening Croke Park to other sports, a young member of the Burt club in Donegal told him that ‘David Beckham had a better chance’ of playing there than himself. “The young lad said, ‘it’s because I hurl and I am from Donegal. We are not wanted there!
“They won the Minor ‘C’ All-Ireland last year. They probably would have played it in Tory Island to get it out of the way. Why does the Vocational Schools final have to be played before the League final? Why couldn’t they play a Minor ‘C’ All-Ireland final? We have to bring hurling people in from the marginal counties to the centre stage. Football is safe, in my opinion. Hurling is not safe.’’
Meanwhile, GAA President Sean McCague said yesterday that the Association may have to start targeting specific people to try and sort out the problem with hurling.
The GPA last week advocated a secondary tournament for weaker counties, only days after Leinster council secretary Micheal Delaney suggested mid-tier teams like Laois and Meath should be excluded from the Leinster championship.
However, McCague, who stressed he would be in a better position to answer during the week after he had read the proposals, said he welcomes any suggestions made that have the strengthening of weaker hurling counties in mind.
“There has been a lot of ongoing development since 1996 in weaker counties. One of the problems in these counties, is that they don’t have the confidence to coach to a higher level. Because they might not have played the game at a higher level, they don’t have the credibility with people.
“But, the Association certainly welcomes any suggestions made as to how we can rectify that problem. People are always writing into our offices with suggestions and proposals on a variety of issues. Not a month goes by that I don’t get a letter saying how the national league formats can be improved or re-vamped. And we try to take everything on board that will be constructive and will help the Association.”
Being from a weaker hurling county himself, McCague said he understood the deep-rooted nature of the problem. He was unsure about some of the solutions recently mooted, like the division of the county board into two separate entities.
“In some counties, the separate boards have worked quite successfully, in other counties, it has been a disaster. One of the problems is in some counties, the issue of hurling mightn’t get raised enough at meetings, because the county want to concentrate on its football or personalities aren’t forceful enough. That’s just the way things goes. People will always raise something they feel passionate about.
“There are some areas worth exploring in this,” the President said. “We have to target people who will be able to work towards this goal, and that may mean targeting people not specifically in the Association.”
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