Tipp won’t settle for second best, says McCarthy
Tipp lost by 15 points to Kerry in Thurles on Sunday and afterwards TV analyst Kevin McStay said the game did neither county any good.
The former Mayo player proposed that the GAA should consider adopting a championship structure like hurling where, instead of being out of their depth in the main competition, counties could compete more effectively in a secondary tournament with promotion back to the top tier the prize for the winners.
McStay named Tipperary, London and New York as three counties which would benefit from such a restructuring.
“I would find it incredible if a county like Tipperary wasn’t allowed to compete for the All-Ireland,” said McCarthy. “They have been doing so for 120 years and I don’t agree with the view that a move like this would improve standards in these counties.
“In recent years we’ve had counties like Westmeath, Limerick and Fermanagh make the breakthrough. If this proposed system was operating the last few years would we have seen men like Mattie Forde, Declan Browne and John Quane as much as we have?
“Declan Browne has lit up football for a number of years now and has won two Allstars. How could you deny a man like that a place in the All-Ireland competition?”
Meanwhile, Antrim hurling captain Jim Connolly expects Dinny Cahill to step down as manager at the end of this summer’s championship campaign.
The former Tipperary player has been making the 200-mile round trip to the north-east for the past four seasons and is highly regarded.
“I would say we will have a new manager next year,” said Connolly who faces Down in the Ulster final this Sunday. “I honestly don’t think he’ll be about next year. His work has been fantastic and the effort the man has put in has been unreal.
“He’ll drive up, he’ll take training for two hours and then drive back down again. From Tipperary to Antrim, don’t forget. The players turn out when they see the effort he is putting in.
“He dropped a couple of wee hints to me, more or less saying this would be his last year, but there’s no lack of effort there, he’s still giving us 100%.”
The news follows yesterday’s revelation that selector Ger Holden has severed his ties with the panel in view of what was believed to be his deteriorating relationship with the manager.
When Cahill arrived in 2001, Antrim were playing second fiddle to Derry and Down but have since annexed three Ulster titles.
Defeats by Tipperary and Wexford in All-Ireland quarter-finals were followed by a thumping in the last eight by Cork in 2004, and the current season has seen them squeeze past New York and lose a challenge match to Kilkenny by 48 points.
Before the Cork game last year, Cahill and his panel were in bullish form about their chances of creating an upset. Not surprisingly, their approach has been more restrained this season.
“I would say that we’ll be a bit more low-key this year,” admitted Connolly. “It’s just that last year things were going so well. We had Waterford up in Antrim and they beat us by one point. Even their boys were saying it was a brilliant game and it was. We were fantastic that night.
“The Waterford boys were telling us, ‘if you play like that, ye’ll not be far away.’ On the day it didn’t work out. A few comments in the press before it got our hump up but it turned into a disaster.”
Meanwhile, Tom Ryan has resigned as Westmeath manager.
The former Limerick manager decided enough was enough after months of low turnouts at training sessions and he has been followed out the door by selectors Pat O’Toole and Mick Cosgrave. Westmeath open their Christy Ring Cup campaign against Roscommon on Saturday week.
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