County Board strongly denies many of hurlers’ claims

THE Executive Committee of Cork County Board last night launched a strongly worded rebuttal of the numerous claims which forced the county’s hurling panel to withdraw their services on Friday.

The Committee accounted for each of the concerns made by the players and defended their actions in a detailed document which was issued to delegates at a meeting in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

One of the most contentious topics had been the eight-hour bus trip endured on the way to a game against Derry. The Board said the choice of transport was due to an increase in airfares (at €13,500, it was twice what it had cost two years previously). Initially, departure was set for 1pm on Friday, but following a compensation claim from players of 100, this was put back to 5pm. Travelling by luxury coach, the team stopped for a meal in Tullamore, then proceeded to Monaghan, where they stayed overnight in a four-star hotel. However, because the route given hadn’t been followed, they didn’t arrive until 12.05am.