Cork clubs set deadline for hurling coach selection process ideas

CORK GAA clubs have been given until August 2 to submit proposals as to what process will be used to select the county’s next senior hurling manager.

Denis Walsh’s term of office concluded following the All-Ireland senior hurling qualifier loss to Galway last Saturday week, and while he remains in the frame to be re-appointed for another tenure, it was agreed that clubs should meet over the next fortnight to discuss what process they feel should be utilised to elect the next manager.

County board chairman Jerry O’Sullivan set a closing date of August 2 for the submissions to be received and the list of proposals will then be distributed to clubs around the county.

Delegates can then be directed by clubs as to what option to vote for at the next board meeting on August 16. That decision was taken in order to speed up the process and to avoid confusion for delegates at the next meeting.

O’Sullivan reiterated that outside figures will not be used to select the next manager and informed delegates that the format used to appoint Walsh was ‘a one-off’. Walsh was chosen by a three-man team of former Rebel stars Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Denis Coughlan and John Fenton in 2009 following Gerald McCarthy’s resignation after a bitter conflict over that winter.

Banteer delegate Pat Murphy proposed that an independent chairman be appointed to chair the selection committee but O’Sullivan insisted that the board “were strongly against such a move”.

St Mary’s delegate John Corcoran warned that last Friday night’s Munster U21HC semi-final win over Tipperary cannot disguise the difficulties facing hurling in the county.

“Those of us that were in Limerick, realise the work that needs to be done to get Cork hurling to where it belongs. Last Friday’s U21 win should not be seen as a panacea in that regard. There is a lot of work needed to cure the ills that are affecting Cork hurling.”

Meanwhile, O’Sullivan revealed that progress is being made on the selection of the next county minor hurling manager but the selection committee were still not in a position to propose a candidate.

“The committee have met on two occasions... but it’s a delicate situation and we don’t want to rush it to the detriment of all concerned. We don’t want to put deadlines on it and just make sure that we get the best possible people.”

The board are also searching for a new intermediate hurling boss after the decision of Pat Kenneally to vacate his position due to his frustrations over the current system in place for the intermediate hurling grade at national level.

Cork and Kilkenny are currently the only two counties who draw on players outside of senior clubs for their intermediate teams and O’Sullivan admitted that he understood how Kenneally thought this weighed against Cork.