O’Grady rules out return to Cork hurling hot seat

FORMER All-Ireland winning coach Donal O’Grady has ruled himself out of a return to the Cork hurling hot seat.

Though John Considine takes charge of the senior side on an interim basis, Cork GAA chiefs meet this evening to decide on the method of appointing a manager in the wake of Gerald McCarthy’s shock resignation as manager.

However O’Grady last night confirmed he will not be in contention.

“Originally I only offered to help out on an interim basis if nobody else was available,” said O’Grady.

“I can categorically state that I am not interested.”

Meanwhile the county board executive is likely to be quizzed tonight on claims that O’Grady and Considine knew nothing in advance of Thursday night that their names were going before the meeting for the interim position.

Delegates voted for the U-21 hurling management team to take over for the next two league games, against Clare and Limerick, with any potential problems set to be ironed out at further meetings on Friday.

Considine will take his first training session tonight, with hurlers from both the 2008 and 2009 panels expected at the session.

Considine and his fellow selectors are also expected to call up club players who have not figured on either panel, many of whom did not line out for former manager Gerald McCarthy and his selectors during the lengthy dispute over the winter on Leeside.

Tonight’s Board meeting will debate the most workable of the 11 different proposals on the make-up of the appointments committee, most of which involved representation on those committees of current or former Cork senior hurlers as well as representatives of Cork clubs and/or the executive of the county board.

The executive’s proposal, which is favoured by many, is that three Cork GAA people would be appointed by the GAA’s Central Council to a committee overseen by the Association’s Director-General, Pauric Duffy.

Delegates were told to bring the proposals back to their clubs and the specific appointments process will be finalised at this evening’s meeting.

Considine will be joined by current U21 selectors Jim Cashman, Tony O’Sullivan, Denis Ring and Paddy Daly for the Clare game in Cusack Park next Sunday and against Limerick in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on March 29th.