O hAílpín says inter-county players should be paid

CORK’S hurling All Star Seán Óg O hAilpín is adamant inter-county GAA players should be paid for performing at the highest level and for “entertaining hundreds of thousands of people”.

Speaking in an interview for the Irish language newspaper, Foinse, O hAilpín made no bones about his wish for a structure that would facilitate the payment of players.

He said he would be in favour of establishing a central fund, similar to that proposed by Tadhg Kennelly last year, with a cut of the funding generated by media rights, sponsorship and gate receipts being funnelled into it.

“I would like to see the day that players get paid,” said the former All-Ireland winning captain.

“The market in Ireland is very small and there are only five or six games during the year that are sold out. Maybe it would be worthwhile looking at some system relying on gate receipts or maybe even to establish a central fund for players. I’m definitely in favour of paying the players. They have to get something.”

The Na Piarsaigh stalwart added that he will never become a media pundit after his retirement, having dabbled in it earlier in his career with TG4, because he claimed criticising sportspeople who are preparing professionally while receiving no money would not be in his nature.

“I think about what I’ll do when I finish hurling. I certainly have no interest in becoming a media pundit. I have a problem giving out about players, especially when they’re not being paid. They have to go back to their work, their homes, their families after every game. I understand that completely.”

O hAilpín admits that he has always wanted to be a professional sportsman and that he is jealous of his younger brothers, Setanta and Aisake, for having that opportunity with Aussie Rules club Carlton Blues, even if he has lived another dream by representing Cork instead.

“I would give my right hand to have that chance (in the AFL). Setanta has carved out a career there and is making his living from it. I wanted to be a professional when I was a young boy but that’s life.

“I got something else instead that was brilliant; I got the chance to play for Cork at the highest level.”

Interestingly, although Eoin Cadogan is currently juggling the two codes at senior level, O hAilpín, doesn’t think it is sustainable in the long term.

He knows what he’s talking about, having done it himself, playing in both All-Ireland finals in 1999. He eventually packed up the football and considers it to have been a wise decision.

“We train four or five times a week. If you’re training like that for hurling and then if your football manager is asking you to train another four or five times, there aren’t enough days in the week.

“You could be marking Henry Shefflin against Kilkenny next Sunday — a player who puts his whole time into hurling training. Then the following week, against Kerry, you could be playing against Colm Cooper who is putting 100% into the football. They might be two Irish sports but the skills involved are completely different. As soon as I gave up football (for Cork), my hurling improved. You can’t do it these days.”