Corcoran: Rebels have a just cause

AS ordinary fans put their weight firmly behind Cork hurlers on Saturday, the players’ camp scored another big coup as a county hero broke his silence to back his former team mates, accusing the County Board of “killing the senior team”.

With 10,000 Rebel supporters mobilising to support the team, Brian Corcoran — a hero among Corkonians, but one who has kept his powder dry until now — spoke to the crowd who gathered on the Grand Parade.

The vocal supporters streamed through the city centre from Emmet Place via Academy Street and around the Fr Matthew statue at the northern end of Patrick Street.

And in a further gesture of solidarity, the county’s footballers walked the route before eight of them, including Anthony Lynch, Noel O’Leary and Graham Canty, mounted the makeshift stage to stand alongside the hurlers and the legendary Corcoran.

The three-time All-Ireland winner, who was named on the hurling team of the century alongside current coach Gerald McCarthy, accused the County Board of “killing the senior team”, 10 members of which stood behind him as he spoke.

“I don’t take any pleasure in standing up here during this black period in Cork hurling,” he began. “But what I am here to do is to defend the honour of a group of players that I feel very fortunate and privileged to have played with during my career.

“A lot of people don’t understand why the players are taking this stance. And as a result the players have received a lot of criticism. In my view it’s criticism that is not justified.

“These players have sacrificed so much for Cork hurling over the years and they have had to listen to people question the pride that they have in the Cork jersey.

“These guys have literally sweat blood and tears for Cork hurling, and the reason that they are taking this stance is because they have enormous pride in Cork hurling and in themselves. They are a group of winners who are willing to stand for what they believe in. They are fully committed to each other and to the pursuit of success. One of the hallmarks of this great team has been that never say die attitude.

“Yet they have been asked to put up and shut up and accept conditions that they know have been primed for failure.

“In 2006, when John Allen stepped down, what was the County Board’s motivation behind disrupting a happy and successful camp by appointing a manager who didn’t want the job and blatantly ignoring people who did? And after two years of failure, why is there no motivation to change something that clearly hasn’t worked?

“I fully accept that the players could potentially have handled this a bit better, and they could maybe have had a more consistent voice. But I know in my heart and soul that the players are doing this because they have the best interests of Cork hurling at heart.

“Can the County Board say the same thing?

“These guys are expected to be role models. But what kind of role models would they be if they didn’t stand up for what they believed?

“It’s time the Cork County Board proved to us all that they have the best interests of Cork hurling at heart, that they care, because right now, I can’t see it. They need to stop the rot. They need to do what’s best for Cork hurling and to allow us all to believe once again.”