O’Donovan pride at new Cork position

Newly-appointed Cork County Board administrator Diarmuid O’Donovan says it will be a “privilege to work for one of the most important organisations” on Leeside when he takes up the full-time role next month.

Outlining the personal significance of landing the newly-formed role, O’Donovan, writing in his weekly sports column in the Evening Echo, revealed his sadness at having to leave his post as assistant chief executive of the newspaper but vowed to utilise the experience he has gained in his current position to positively impact on the challenges he will encounter when he begins working for the CCB.

“It is a sad time for me because I will be leaving one of Cork’s other great institutions, the Evening Echo,” wrote O’Donovan. “I have had great times working for both the Evening Echo and the Irish Examiner over many years.”

O’Donovan, who has a wealth of experience and knowledge as well as adaptability to modern-day GAA requirements for development in Cork, went on to explain he had come to “forks in the road of life” as soon as he became aware of the position when it was first advertised last November.

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it,” O’Donovan wrote. “This was the advice given by Yogi Berra, the legendary New York Yankees catcher, to a friend who was looking for directions to Berra’s house.

“When the Cork County Board of the GAA advertised the position of Administrator last November, I realised that I had come to one of those forks in the road of life.

“For 35 years I have managed to keep my working life and my GAA interests on the same road.

“It was a dual carriageway. It is a moot point as to which one of them was in the fast lane, but thankfully I have managed to make good progress in both.

“Last November, when I met that mythical fork in the road, I decided to veer towards the GAA path.

“It is a fabulous opportunity and a privilege to be offered the opportunity to work with one of the most important organisations in Cork,” he stated.

O’Donovan also said the need to eradicate cynical fouling from football was too great to ignore even if he is unconvinced by the chosen punishment due to be implemented.

“I was intrigued by the comments of some of the inter-county team managers about the introduction of the black card.

“The black card is intended to eliminate cynical fouling but judging by the hysterical reaction from managers and commentators over the past few days the amount of cynical play in football is matched only by the amount of cynical comment.

“I do have reservations about the black card idea over the use of the rugby style ‘sin-bin’.

“On the other hand, something needs to be done to encourage positive play and if this is the only method the majority of people can agree on, so be it.