Ryan defends board’s priorities

Cork County Board chairman Bob Ryan was forced to launch a vigorous defence of the decision to redevelop Páirc Uí Chaoimh at last night’s county board meeting.

At the meeting — the first since Cork’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final defeat by Tipperary last month — criticisms from Shamrocks delegate Patrick Andrews drew a sharp rebuke from Ryan.

Following a report on the Tipp defeat from senior hurling selector Seánie McGrath, Ryan thanked manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy and his team, saying that pride had been restored in the county in the three years since Barry-Murphy had returned to the job.