When toil and trouble bubble over
TOMMY CARR gets the bullet: 2001-2002.
Tommy Carr must have felt fairly secure after the 2001 championship. His Dublin side had run Kerry to a replay in the All-Ireland quarter-final and county chairman John Bailey had publicly backed the former army man to serve the second year of his two-year term.
And yet by October, after much theatre and despite the threat of a strike by the football panel, he was gone.
The management committee had voted 4-3 in favour of his sacking and when it was brought to the county board the vote ended 46-46.
As chairman, Bailey had the casting vote, but sided against Carr, bringing to an end his four-year reign.
Three years later, Parnell Park was again the centre of
attention during the winter months when, after much speculation over Brian Mullins, Paul Caffrey was finally chosen to succeed Tommy Lyons.
"I have not betrayed Tommy Carr or his selectors as some media reports have claimed," said Bailey at the time.
"I'm entitled to my opinion which I expressed in the interests of Dublin football. I made my decision honestly and openly and with no agendas."
Cork hurlers decide enough is enough: 2002-2003
THE mother and father of all off-season crises. Having failed to get a number of grievances - like training facilities, match preparation and reimbursement on loss of earnings - satisfactorily dealt with, the Cork hurlers downed, well, hurleys.
Initially the county board refused to budge but by taking their grievances public, the players gained the upper hand and when they were joined by their footballing colleagues, they never looked like relinquishing it.
By the end of the troubles, the board had accepted virtually all the demands. Some of the changes involved improved access to medical and physiotherapy care, as well as access to six gyms countywide.
It was a landmark victory for player welfare. Two years later, the Offaly hurlers followed Cork's lead by withdrawing their services until demands were met. Cork have since won two Munster and two All-Ireland titles.
Páidí Ó Sé and the animals: 2002-2003
Remember the storm over this one? Over a pint of plain that Christmas, Ó Sé told a Sunday newspaper that Kerry supporters were the "roughest type of f***ing animals you could ever deal with".
He also put trainer John O'Keeffe's nose out of joint by indicating he would take a more central role in the team's physical preparations for the following season.
Understandably, the Kingdom faithful took umbrage, the county board moved like greased lightning to disassociate itself from the remarks and Páidí was left to apologise like an errant schoolboy.
"In west Kerry, during the festive season, we're too partial at times to that strong black stuff. I'm not making excuses, I made the comments but I meant it as a compliment to the Kerry supporters, they demand high standards.
"We set those high standards in Kerry, which is why we have 32 All-Irelands. I was misinterpreted. I paid the price and it possibly cost me my job," said Ó Sé after he stood down 10 months later.
Micko keeps everyone guessing: 2004-2005
ON one memorable evening in October last year, the national GAA media descended on the tiny clubhouse of The Heath outside Portlaoise as the will-he-go-will-he-stay? drama came to a dramatic conclusion.
There were conflicting stories over O'Dwyer's threatened exit, which at first, seemed to be an act of brinkmanship dreamt up after two poor turn-outs at training.
Before long, rumours were flying that he was on his way to manage the Dubs.
One line of thought even had it that he was seriously annoyed with the county board over a delay in paying overdue expenses.
In the end, O'Dwyer was spirited into The Heath clubhouse by county chairman Dick Miller and after a make-or-break meeting with the panel, he dived into a waiting car amid flashing light bulbs and TV cameras, leaving selector Declan O'Loughlin to reveal the standoff was over.
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