Rebels runs the rule over Croker
NOBODY roots for Goliath, and the most successful county in the GAA can attest to that. However, Cork's status as one of the most powerful branches of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael is not wholly due to the county's haul of 100-plus All-Ireland titles on the field of play.
Cork's ability to punch its weight in committee-room tussles sometimes chafes with outsiders when the county's footballers avoided sanctions for fielding an extra substitute in the replayed Munster football final of 2002, for example, it was held up as a prime instance of Cork's nous with the GAA rule book.
Add in the three stripe affair of 25 years earlier, and the brief but ground-breaking strike by the county hurling panel of 2002, and you have the individual components which set the perception of Cork's county board in stone: conservative, remote and equivocal, opposed to the opening of Croke Park and unlikely to change that view.
Perception in Cork is bolstered by the county board being personified in one man. Secretary Frank Murphy, as a permanent employee of the board, functions almost as a civil servant watching the passage of elected superiors, though equating Murphy with Sir Humphrey Appleby of television's 'Yes Minister' is unsustainable.
The most capable Whitehall mandarin would blanch at the prospect of organising the Cork county championships at senior, intermediate and junior levels. However, Murphy will not make the decision on Cork's approach to Rule 42 at Congress.
The clubs will.
Hence the fascination with Rule 42 debates within the clubs, which will instruct their delegates on how to vote at Tuesday's board meeting, when Cork's official position will be adopted. A straw poll taken among those clubs indicates that the board's reputation for conservatism may be under threat.
"We met three weeks ago and the club have decided to support the temporary opening of Croke Park during the proposed redevelopment of Lansdowne Road," said Des Cullinane, UCC football club board delegate. "It was 99% in favour of the decision. There was debate on the matter and given that we are full of young members, I was surprised that a lot did not want to open it indefinitely.
"The key issue was the economic value and what the GAA can gain financially from opening to other sports, but the entire public relations concerns was not considered an issue.
"The lads felt that rugby and soccer should have their own facilities and not be relying on others.
"Cork will be tight after all, the proposed agenda only went out in the post this week so a lot of clubs are still to meet and mandate their delegate ahead of Tuesday's meeting.
"Personally, my view point is that of the club: Croke Park, and only Croke Park, should be opened up but only under controlled circumstances.
"I would not be in favour of the pitch being used the week before an All Ireland final, as an example.
"But logically, if we can let the likes of U2 and American football play there, then we should allow Irish sports people, whatever their code, have the same privilege."
For those who feel a college football outfit might not be representative of Cork GAA, an old-money establishment like Glen Rovers has a remarkably similar outlook.
"When I took over as chairman I was asked from the floor if members would have any say in the upcoming debate on Croke Park," said Liam Ó Tuama, the Glen Rovers chairman.
"I asked if members wanted a special meeting to debate it; they did, and we had no problem organising that.
"We had a good meeting, there was no acrimony, and the proposition to change the status quo was passed narrowly. We had a bit of difficulty getting the proper wording but we took the gist of the motion from the newspapers, and we decided in favour of a temporary opening.
"The members decided that the status quo should be changed although the other option, to open the stadium fully, was turned down unanimously.
"It was decided that when Lansdowne Road was unavailable then Croke Park should be open for other sports a temporary measure."
The ramifications of such as change have a trickle-down effect, which Ó Tuama alludes to.
"We also had to pass a by-law about our own property, a matter of rewording a few words in the constitution of the club.
"We changed the by-law to make sure the objectives of the club were also those of CLG and that the club field would only be used for the promotion of Gaelic games. That was to safeguard our own property, basically.
"There's a notion around that if this was passed then people would have no problem opening up other pitches, and we just wanted to protect our own property.
"Central Council may have to issue guidelines on that for other clubs."
Ó Tuama acknowledges the generational division: younger players in favour of opening up, with older members more resistant to change, an issue echoed by Ballincollig senior selector Seamus O'Callaghan.
"We've had our vote. I haven't exact figures but it was roughly 70% for opening Croke Park, breaking down like this: about 40% were for opening up while Lansdowne Road is being renovated, and about 30% were in favour of leaving it to Central Council.
"If you asked any of our players under 30, 80 to 90% would say open Croke Park to whoever wanted it. The older generation would be largely against it, but to be honest, I think the conservative element have weakened definitely in the last five to 10 years.
"We had a good debate, there was no badness or argument we didn't have two camps. The members cast their votes, chatted and agreed to differ; it wasn't an angry debate."
Many clubs have yet to hold their meetings, with some degree of muttering about the late arrival of documentation from the county board.
Bishopstown official and city councillor Jerry Buttimer pointed out: "I'm in favour of opening Croke Park, but it'd be wrong if we didn't at least look at the motion to see what's involved. What's the benefit of guys having to travel overseas to see games?
"There are much more important issues facing the GAA, like insurance and volunteerism, getting guys out to run teams in clubs. That's a far bigger and more pressing problem for clubs than opening Croke Park.
"I understand those people who are against opening up Croke Park, I know they're sincere in their beliefs, but this is a different Ireland. I think it'd be a great gesture."
Bob Honohan, a club colleague of Buttimer's, and the county board's Central Council delegate, is against change. "I'd be for the status quo. I don't see any advantage for the GAA in opening up Croke Park, which I think is the main point.
"I think some people need to consider whether or not the promotion of hurling and football is best served by opening up Croke Park, and I don't think it is.
"That's not a youth thing there was a youth seminar in Croke Park recently which was 95% against opening up the stadium.
"I know there's a lot of focus on Cork from outside the county, but next Tuesday night democracy will prevail, and the majority will decide."
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