Gardiner: Cork ‘crying out’ for under-age development

JOHN GARDINER believes Cork GAA has been crying out for the establishment of schools of excellence and under-age development squads.

The Cork hurling captain was speaking yesterday in Páirc Uí Rinn, where the formal launch of Cork’s underage panels took place.

The county’s record at under-age level in recent times has come in for strong attention, with no All-Ireland minor hurling title since 2001 and no football crown since 2000.

The establishment of a strong underage structure is seen a key sign of progress for GAA in the county and Gardiner believes it is imperative in order to match rival sports.

“The best way to get success is to expose young players to the best. Every Cork player at every age deserves the best and this is a great initiative. Cork has been crying out for something like this. We have to match the models in rugby and soccer.

“You look at rugby, guys at 15 or 16 are going to schools and then into academies. Something like this is going to get young players into GAA and make them want to be involved in something positive. What is needed is this conveyor belt for lads to go onto U21 and senior level, and we’ll reap the rewards down the line.”

Cork football captain Graham Canty echoed Gardiner’s views: “This is a really great initiative that is being developed. I think what it’ll do most of all is really complement what the clubs are already doing. At the end of the day it’s the clubs who bring these players forward to inter-county level. But this model will complement it. Like everything there will be teething problems at the start, yet if it does work, it’ll make a huge difference.”

The chairman of Coiste Oiliúna Chorcaí Des Cullinane outlined the planned implementation of the system, which will feature four intensive day-long sessions for each age group from U14 to U17, in UCC or Cork IT.

The specialised coaching will be conducted by figures like former Cork footballers Colin Corkery, Niall Cahalane and Ronan McCarthy, and former Cork hurlers Ger Manley, Sean O’Gorman and John Considine, while ex-Munster rugby conditioning coach Mark McManus is responsible for the physical development of the U16 and U17 squads.

Former Cork senior boss Jimmy Barry-Murphy, who officially launched the development, said: “When I was coaching the Cork minors, it was a matter of going around to games. But that structure is no longer good enough. Soccer and rugby are doing it all so we need to be doing that now.”