Look who’s (not) talking too
: It’s hardly coincidental that the most open team in the championship has also been the most consistent over the past number of years. Four years ago, before their All-Ireland semi-final with Kerry, the Armagh county board organised a press conference with their four biggest names for the press night. It didn’t work. Two years later, with Joe Kernan at the helm, Armagh were back to being the most approachable and chatty team in the championship, despite the negative criticism they took in some quarters.
: Mickey Moran has never been anything other than polite and gentlemanly in our dealings with him. Derry are a strange team. With the likes of Brolly, the Downeys and Fergal McCusker in the early ’90s, they were the most charismatic and charming team around. The current team, with a few exceptions, like to stay out of the papers. Paddy Bradley, Johnny McBride and Conleth Gilligan more than make up for the silent types, though.
: Generally, one of the more open teams in the championship. Brian McEniff has felt it necessary to turn against his natural impulses and place a gagging order on the team this week. In light of recent events highlighted in the national media, McEniff believed this was the best course of action to ensure his team remained focused for today’s All-Ireland qualifier against Fermanagh.
: Tommy Lyons was a media machine with an impressive portfolio of work including The Sunday Game and the Evening Herald. Then he became Dublin manager. Since, his relations with penmeisters have nosedived. Lyons and his players headed for the team bus after the Westmeath debacle without so much as a wave to the microphones. But as they have enjoyed a neat trip through the qualifiers against London, Leitrim and Longford, reports of a thaw, especially amongst the older gang, are floating about the place.
: Charlie Mulgrew wouldn’t be the most comfortable under the media glare, but that hasn't stopped him answering every question asked of him this summer. The more experienced players are all fairly accessible but because of the youthfulness of the panel, some of the younger players are off-limits. Understandably.
: Big change from last year. Jack O’Connor has a introduced press conference structure - four players and two selectors were at the one before the Munster final and spoke for 80 minutes, breaking up into one-on-ones with reporters afterwards. Doesn’t seem to have burdened them too greatly - they just picked up their 69th Munster title without Seamus Moynihan and Declan O’Sullivan.
: Open sesame. “I’ve never stopped a reporter or closed the gates at a training session,” Mick O’Dwyer says. And guess what? He’s telling the truth. O’Dwyer believes it only adds to pressure on a player to be ducking calls and telling lies. Laois probably have the most open press policy in the country.
: Liam Kearns’ admirable openness almost has the media wishing success for Limerick - the manager is affable, articulate and accommodating, and to a large extent, it has extended to his squad. Kearns returns phone calls and organises a mean press conference. Mean as in professional.
: Healthy situation. No formal press nights, because there’s no need. Selector George Golden acts as the go-between, and there’s seldom a problem, save Kieran McDonald, who isn’t into that kind of thing. Fair enough. John Maughan’s media savvy ensures that everything runs smoothly in the house of the Connacht champions.
: No problems. Had their brush with red-top fame last year, but with Tommy Carr at the helm, you will always have a fair crack at the whip. Players are available through direct contact.
: Mickey Harte always makes himself available for the media - and has even been known to return phone calls. His players are a decent bunch of talkers too, although Harte can be somewhat protective of some players, particularly his younger stars garnering headlines before big games. He tends to leave players to their own devices and decide whether they want to be interviewed or not.
: Páidí Ó Sé admits he has protected his players from the media! Hold the back page. Pledged to ease up the bans when he went to Westmeath, and had relatively open press night before last Sunday’s drawn Leinster final when players who wished, were available for interview. Is Páidí changing now that he’s out of green and gold shackles? He even attended the pre-match Bank of Ireland conference with O’Dwyer before the game. Sacré bleu!
: Dinny Cahill hosted one of the great press nights of modern times on Tuesday. You thought Loughnane was outspoken - he was a trappist monk compared to Cahill this week, who filled the notebooks of the few reporters present with an assault on Cork’s hurlers. With less profile comes less pressure, thus no burden. Doubtcha Dinny.
: A Banner shutdown lately. Players have not been available this week. Indeed ‘Kilkenny’ has been an unspoken word since last Saturday’s victory over Offaly. Reticence can be traced back to Championship defeat to Waterford. Like that made the difference. Anthony Daly has circled the wagons since. Maybe things will lighten up next week.
: Oh dear. The team that showed its backbone for better player treatment turned its back on reporters after the Killarney victory over Tipperary. Two meetings later, there was a partial softening as wiser heads prevailed. Manager Donal O’Grady isn’t every journo’s cup of tea, but he had nothing to do with the latest head-throw. Interview requests can be channelled through selector Sean O’Leary.
: Players are not as fluent in front of the dictaphone as they are in front of the posts. Especially before games. There are courteous exceptions - Shefflin and Carey, and Brian Cody is approachable and articulate. But someone, somewhere, at some stage has said ‘let’s do all our talking on the pitch’.
: Have become sticky. Justin McCarthy isn’t averse to the ‘ye wrote us off’ line. Not quite cuttings on the dressing room wall but not far short. Nothing formal in terms of press access, but reporters aren’t dissuaded either (except with John Mullane). Press are accommodated at training, but each request is treated on a case by case basis.
: Like their performances, improving. John Conran and his selectors nominated three or four players for interviews before the Leinster final win over Kilkenny. No harm done, so expect something similar for the semi-final against Antrim or Cork.
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