Top managers in Carthy stand-off with RTÉ
Tyrone boss Mickey Harte confirmed to the Irish Examiner last night that several managers have withdrawn co-operation and will continue to do so until they get a meeting with RTÉ bosses on the issue.
Harte was one of several high-profile team bosses who turned down RTÉ for post-match radio and tv interviews after Tyrone’s Ulster SFC win over Monaghan on Sunday, explaining yesterday the action was in response to RTÉ “ignoring” a letter sent a fortnight ago seeking a meeting to discuss Carthy’s position.
RTÉ’s flagship Sunday Game programme did not carry any interviews either with Laois manager Justin McNulty or Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney after their respective Leinster championship games in Croke Park on Sunday against Dublin and Kildare. It has since emerged the former Armagh teammates are among a group of eight signatories to the letter posted to RTÉ.
“We sent some correspondence to the effect that we are very much dismayed and alarmed at the absence of Brian Carthy from major commentary roles at the moment,” Mickey Harte told the Irish Examiner.
RTÉ head of sport Ryle Nugent confirmed last night that neither Harte, McGeeney nor McNulty would agree to RTÉ interviews on Sunday, a situation Mr Nugent expressed surprise at.
“Brian was on commentary duties in Limerick on Saturday and will be again next weekend. He is still part of our commentary team,” said Nugent.
“I am of the conviction that RTÉ will assign reporters and commentators as it sees fit.”
Mr Nugent also pointed out that RTÉ have less live commentary matches than before and also had a significant stable of very capable commentator across tv and radio that it was obliged to use. He also confirmed that RTÉ director general Noel Curran had received the letter from Mickey Harte and has responded, even though the Tyrone manager may not have received the letter yet.
On Sunday, Carthy was on reporting duties in Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the Cork-Waterford Munster football semi-final while Croke Park hosted two of the main games of the day, the Leinster double-header involving Laois and Dublin and Kildare against Meath with radio commentary from Darragh Moloney and Adrian Eames.
Harte said yesterday there have been “two voices on Gaelic Games” on RTÉ Radio in modern times, Brian Carthy and Michéal Ó Muircheartaigh. After the retirement of Ó Muircheartaigh last year, Carthy “seemingly disappeared into the ether” in terms of the amount of coverage he was given “or more so the games he wasn’t given”.
Said Harte: “We just didn’t think that was good practice because we do believe that for Gaelic Games over the years there has been a distinctive voice on radio,’’ he added.
“And radio is an unique medium. It’s a highly challenging skill to deliver that in a way that paints a picture for people and I think you need to be steeped in the GAA to do that.”
Harte explained they had sent their letter to RTÉ on May 23, saying: “We stated those very things I have spoken to you about and asked them — respectfully I might add — if they would give us a chance to have a chat with them to elaborate on how we felt.
“Not only did we not get a response, we didn’t even get recognition that our letter arrived. The letter was sent by recorded delivery, guaranteed next day and had to be signed for to be received. So, I don’t think it has been lost in the post.”
Outlining the background to their stance in support of Carthy, he said that “at a quick ask”, eight inter-county managers agreed to the letter being sent to RTÉ. “It’s by no means exhaustive and there are loads of people we haven’t spoken to yet. It was just to let the authorities in RTÉ know that we were concerned and that we would like to speak to them to discuss it at greater depth.
If the managers would withdraw co-operation on an on-going basis, he responded: “We believe that will be the case.”
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