Kevin O'Donovan: I’d rather 100% of players are active the next six weeks

LAUNCH: Pictured at the launch of the 2022 Co-Op Superstores Cork Club Hurling Championships is Liam O’Flaherty, Dairygold general manager agribusiness with Tadhg O’Sullivan of Courcey Rovers, John Cronin of Lisgoold , Tommy O’Connell of Midleton, Darren Browne of Kanturk, and Fionn Herlihy of Ballygiblin at Páirc Ui Chaoimh. The battle for supremacy in the Cork championships get under way this week. Pic: Jim Coughlan

The criticism that the GAA is handing over the month of August to other sports is “disrespectful” to club players, Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan has said.

A strong supporter of the current calendar, O’Donovan simply cannot understand the argument being made that the GAA is losing out to other sports and giving up promotional and marketing opportunities by finishing the inter-county season in July, as opposed to stretching it out for another four weeks to late August.

He warned that the GAA would be "playing with fire" if they pushed out the inter-county season to the end of August.

“I think we are gaining a month in coverage. I am looking at the players here today in Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the launch of our county hurling championships, the footballers out last weekend, the hurlers out this weekend, a dry sod, and I am looking at the inspiration they are having in their clubs and at the local Cúl camps. So maybe I am missing something in terms of the GAA tap being turned off for the next month,” the Cork GAA CEO remarked.

“Cork GAA operates at a certain pace when our inter-county teams are playing, but it accelerates with an incredible momentum the minute we revert back to our club championships, so I just don’t see the argument [of August being given up or lost].

“I’d rather 100% of players in Cork - let’s not talk about 2% or 98% - are active for the next six weeks, flat out group stages in hurling and football, and games in every venue in the county and at every possible time.

“I think it is a festival of hurling and football, so I would certainly counter the argument that anything is being turned off. We are turning on for the next six to eight weeks.”

Very noticeable, added O’Donovan, is that he hasn’t heard a single complaint from inter-county players about the July finish to the inter-county season.

“We have talked ourselves into this fervour, in certain quarters, because I am not hearing it every day, I am not hearing it from our clubs, I am not hearing it from our county players, I am not hearing it from our county managers. It seems to be a very, very small section, but I know the inspiration these players will have and do have for their clubs, parishes, and community. I just think [the criticism] is missing the point.

“I see the value of the inter-county game as a massive vehicle to promote our game at the best possible quality and I understand the value of Sam Maguire being in Kerry this week, but I don’t see what we are losing by Sam Maguire going to the local Cúl camp, the local parish hall and the local club, and it can go to the schools when they are back in September.”

On the calendar review to be carried out by Croke Park later this year, O’Donovan has no issue with the inter-county season being pushed out by one week. He was adamant, however, that should the end date to the 2023 season be a week or two later than was the case this year, a dual county like Cork must still be afforded 14-15 weeks to run off their championships.

“There are 400 adult club teams in Cork. Each one of them has to play championship, each one of them has to at least have a backdoor. It’s our dream that every one of them would have a group stage. Do the maths on that.

“You push that back a further month and start that in September, where are you going to get the floodlights and pitches to play that volume of games.

“When you are dealing with mass participation, you are playing with fire if you move that towards the winter months. They are the real issues we should be discussing – pitches, floodlights, mass participation, not what is on telly next Sunday.”

Elsewhere, the Cork GAA CEO has warned local patrons to be vigilant of a scam in circulation offering counterfeit season tickets for Cork club matches.

“We have a season ticket on sale at €150 per annum, which we think is very good value when you consider there are 400 games covered by that ticket.

“But there has been a link in circulation. All those tickets have been rendered invalid and they will not gain people access to our games. We are just telling people to be vigilant and to make sure they go through the Cork website and purchase the ticket at the price outlined.”