Wallace quits and takes RTÉ to task

Former Antrim hurling manager Jerry Wallace last night launched a blistering attack on RTÉ claiming the broadcaster ‘undermined his integrity.’

Wallace , who quit his role as Saffron boss yesterday, stated in an interview with The Irish News earlier this week that he had spoken to RTÉ personnel covering Antrim’s Leinster SHC defeat to Westmeath asking them to ‘deflate’ an incident involving Cormac Donnelly and to “lose that video.”

However, an RTÉ statement which appeared in Friday’s Irish Examiner insisted that “none of the RTÉ Sport crew were approached regarding the footage by Jerry Wallace as alleged.”

But a furious Wallace last night issued a statement through his solicitor saying RTÉ had “selectively and incorrectly commented on what transpired.”

“This statement is being issued by me in response to an article which appeared in a national newspaper this Friday morning under the headline ‘RTÉ Chiefs say analysts were not contacted by Wallace’. Having last evening attended a training session in Antrim to prepare for the upcoming Liam MacCarthy Qualifier Round 2 match against Limerick/Laois I got home to Midleton, Co Cork at 3am. I then woke up this morning to an unfounded attack on my honesty and character by RTÉ.

RTE issued a statement on the 6th of June (Wednesday) and I did not receive a copy of the statement until lunchtime today (Friday).

“Unfortunately after spending the morning seeking a copy privately I had to retain the services of my solicitor to obtain a copy from RTÉ.

“At no stage since the issuing of the statement by RTÉ (Wednesday) was I given a right of reply by either RTÉ or the paper in question.

“For the record, my intervention with RTÉ staff at the Westmeath match in question was to ascertain if they had full footage of the incident which commenced with an attack on one of my players, Liam Watson, by a member of the Westmeath management.

“I made this enquiry as I felt that fair procedure, towards my player Cormac Donnelly, would not be followed by merely showing a selective excerpt from the fracas which was started by Westmeath. In their statement RTÉ deny such contact took place. I today requested the names of the cameraman and interviewer from RTÉ and have not received this information.

“Unfortunately, RTÉ have undermined my integrity as an individual and they have also undermined the bond and trust which is essential between Jerry Wallace and the Antrim Senior Hurling Team 2012. I have always supported and defended my players 100%.

“I have late this afternoon advised Frank Quinn secretary of the Antrim county board that I have resigned as the Antrim senior hurling manager with immediate effect. I wish to thank the county secretary, the county chairman and the executive of the Antrim county board for their full support.

“Also, I wish to place on record my sincere gratitude to the Antrim players and management team for their commitment to the program which I implemented since my term commenced. My decision to retire is absolutely no reflection on them but is as a result of outside factors outside of their control and my control. On the day in February when my late father Jerry Senior passed away I was on the sideline of The Allianz NHL League match against Wexford, in Casement Park, Belfast, fulfilling my commitment to Antrim. I left immediately after the game to travel to the Bons Secours Hospital in Cork where my father died shortly after. I mention this because the subsequent level of support shown by the Antrim executive and panel members in making the long journey to Cork, to show their support and solidarity, will never be forgotten by my mother and our families. The greatest sacrifice of all has been made by my wife Mary and my three children. I would like to thank them for allowing me the opportunity when it came my way to manage an inter county team having been involved in the intercounty scene since 2002. They fully supported me in all this and the long hours away from home and they are extremely upset. at these developments. As an amateur manager in an amateur game, with professional expectations, I put myself forward to do the job to the best of my abilities and to at all times defend my players.