Carlow deny €1m subsidy
"This thing of €1m over five years is out of the question," Mr Byrne told a county board meeting this week.
"I can't believe how this stuff gets into the media. The figure is €20,000 a year don't get me wrong it's still a nice figure, but that's all it is."
The consortium, headed by Michael Murphy, the managing director of the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow Town, have gone on record to say that the money whatever the true amount would be available to promote both hurling and football from U-12 level.
However, despite a recent statement issued by the county senior football panel urging the county board and the consortium to row in together, no progress has been made in advancing relations between the two parties, or in appointing a manager to succeed Luke Dempsey, who passed on taking the post on a full-time basis.
The board has now been landed with the role of Public Enemy No 1 in the affair and the Board chairman was forced to defend the executive against accusations of poor support structures for the county senior panels at this week's meeting.
He spoke passionately about how he and county secretary Tommy O'Neill have worked every night, delivering food to training sessions for players, while also claiming that sufficient finances have been made available for the purchase of playing gear.
"I want you to put your hand on your heart and tell me what we did wrong," Byrne told the meeting.
"If I did anything wrong I'll get up and walk away now. Anything I do is for the betterment of football and hurling in this county."
However, there is no doubt the county board has failed in its most important task over the past few months, namely, finding a new manager to take over the footballers.
The panel has already resumed training under senior panellist and coaching officer Brendan Hayden, while veteran forward Johnny Nevin is also expected to have a hands-on role in overseeing pre-season training until the new man is appointed.
However, pre-season training has been poorly attended, and the fear among players and supporters is that the progress of last season under Luke Dempsey will be lost unless the ship is steadied soon.
Tommy Lyons, John O'Mahony, Paul O'Kelly and Mick Dempsey have all had their names linked to the post in the past few weeks, but the chairman has urged delegates and fans to forget about a high-profile name until the county can point to some underage success as proof of their potential.
"We set up development squads in U-14, 15 and 16 and they're going tremendously well," said Mr Byrne.
"There is a brilliant amount of talent and we hope to get them going to win a Leinster championship. Then, and only then, will we attract a high-profile man.
"These guys need to be in the eye of the media."
