The gloom show

THE chill was beginning to bite as Cork County Board’s annual Convention came to order last Saturday night. Expectations of fire and brimstone in the main hall of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, however, weren’t fulfilled.

Given the reams of criticism that administrators in Cork GAA have attracted in recent years, it’s worth remembering that those who turned up for the convention weren’t draped in the freshly skinned pelts of GPA members. Nor were they carrying torches like the mob in a horror film, ready to advance on the creature’s lair.

Those in Páirc Uí Chaoimh were indistinguishable from their counterparts in other counties and other sports. Middle-aged men for the most part, taking few chances with their wardrobe, sitting in a large hall with photographs of past teams on the walls: the picture is replicated from Malin to Mizen at this time of year.