Cooney: GAA won't weigh in on commentary row

Christy Cooney says that the GAA will not be getting involved in the stand-off between a selection of inter-county managers and RTÉ.

Mickey Harte, Kieran McGeeney and Justin McNulty all refused to speak to RTÉ reporters after their counties' respective Championship matches last weekend.

They are not co-operating with the national broadcaster over RTÉ's decision not to give their main radio GAA match commentaries to Brian Carthy, who they feel is the natural successor to the retired Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh.

A signed letter was recently sent to RTÉ by the managers, who are seeking a meeting on the issue. The station has since responded via their director general Noel Curran.

Speaking today at the launch of the GAA's National Urban programme, GAA President Cooney said: "I think RTÉ have a responsibility, like all our partners in the media to utilise their staff as they see appropriate.

"It is not a matter for us to tell them who they should or shouldn't have commentating or reporting on matches. I don't know what RTÉ's plans are for Brian Carthy or any of their people.

"It's not our place (to comment). All we want to make sure is that whoever is commentating or reporting on our games, that they will be balanced and fair and present our games in a positive light."

Cooney did praise Roscommon man Carthy for giving 'outstanding service to the coverage of our games and our Association over decades now.'

"Brian is a very good commentator and an outstanding reporter and I am sure that he will continue to have a pivotal role in the delivery of games over the next number of seasons.

"I wasn't aware of the situation until I heard it about it on Sunday evening, and I wasn't aware that there was a letter gone in.

"I understand that a letter is gone in from a number of managers and I understand that a response has come from RTÉ, but that is as much as I know about it.

"I don't know the content of the letter, and I wasn't informed that a letter was going in.

"All I will say is that we have a contract situation to all our media partners with regard to the use of our players, and we have a contract regarding the televising of matches."

These agreements are rubber-stamped by an arrangement between the GAA and GPA over the use of players for post-match interviews. However, this does not extend to managers who are under no legal obligation to talk to the media after games.

Cooney outlined that managers have traditionally always been good in providing post-match comments, outlining their sense of responsibility to their county and also their County Boards.