Cork players agree to binding arbitration

Ninety-five days after the decision of the Cork Senior footballers and hurlers to withdraw their services from inter-county involvement, agreement has finally been reached in the Rebel County, following a meeting of the players and officials last night.

It took just one hour of talks at an undisclosed Cork City Centre hotel, which also involved LRC Chief Kieran Mulvey as mediator; to ensure that an end to the dispute which threatened Cork's National hurling and football league participation has been reached.

Both Cork squads and the County Board are to accept the new binding arbitration agreement which will be before them by Kieran Mulvey at lunchtime today.

The Labour Relations Chief Executive has played a firm role in helping to broker an agreement between the players and the county board over the past month, and now it seems the deadlock has finally been broken.

County Board officials met face to face with players representatives Donal Óg Cusack, Joe Deane, Graham Canty and Anthony Lynch last night, for the first time since the dispute began in November and restated their commitment to abide by the new proposals.

It will not be clear until later this morning what Mulvey's recommendations will contain, and whether or not they will suggest that Teddy Holland remains in the position of Senior football manager, a key issue which has been the thorn of the players and one of the reasons for this dispute.

Both players and officials remained tightlipped last night over the discussions, however the LRC chief stated that a constructive and frank discussion had taken place.

“Both sides put their positions professionally and fairly, without rancour or emotion, without any personal invocation of any personality issue. Both stuck to the issue and I very much appreciate the constructive way they approached this,” Mulvey said.

He added, “I can’t please everyone all the time but what’s important is the spirit in which the arbitration finished, with both sides acknowledging the role of each other and the efforts both have put into it, and the fact that both parties reaffirmed their commitment to Cork GAA was very important."

Earlier this week veteran Offaly hurler Brian Whelehan added his voice to the cause that the dispute be resolved.

"For Cork it is a matter of getting the players back out on the field. You can't realistically have a championship without Cork," Whelehan said.

Cork footballers are due to face Dublin at Páirc Úi Rinn under floodlights on Saturday night at 7pm, while the hurlers are fixed to face Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh the following day.

Cork GAA PRO Bob Ryan has confirmed that the County Board will be seeking postponements of this weekend's fixtures.

"We will seek have to have seek those games to re-fixed. We will make contact with the Central Competitions Control Committee today and let them take it from there," Ryan said.

However Croke Park chiefs are hoping to press ahead with the games this weekend, as a fixtures backlog could cause problems down the line, with a tight schedule of games already in place, and the first round fixtures for both Cork teams also to be refixed.