GAA president says Dónal Óg Cusack’s comments on the Tailteann Cup ‘weren’t helpful’

In time, Dónal Óg Cusack mightiness yet beryllium namechecked arsenic the GAA’s foremost Tailteann Cup promotional campaigner – an inadvertent one-man selling set for also-rans.

The erstwhile Cork hurling goalkeeper has travel successful for disapproval due to the fact that of his caller comments connected the second-tier shot championship, but his pronouncements person helped make a level of unexpected commotion astir the contention that would get PR companies anemic astatine the knees.

GAA president Larry McCarthy has present poured caller substance connected the fire, acknowledging Cusack’s disparaging remarks hadn’t gone unnoticed successful Croke Park.

“They weren’t helpful,” said McCarthy. “We evidently person a precise palmy tiered strategy successful hurling, and to marque comments similar that astir the tiered strategy we person introduced successful shot was conscionable simply unhelpful.”

The archetypal spark successful this statement was lit by Cusack connected The Sunday Game earlier this period when, connected the backmost of GAAGO’s allocation of unrecorded hurling fixtures, helium delivered an impassioned code questioning if anybody successful the corridors of powerfulness “had the back” of the tiny shot game.

He past followed that up connected RTÉ vigor with remarks successful narration to the Tailteann Cup that resulted successful important kickback.

“The GAA docket has 2 provincial shot finals and the commencement of the Tailteann Cup, which if you haven’t heard of it, is simply a benignant of Gaelic shot Grand National for disappointed also-rans,” stated Cusack.

On their own, the comments carried a just dollop of derision, but fixed Cusack’s presumption wrong the Gaelic Players Association, the phraseology was funny arsenic it appeared to scoff astatine a ample proportionality of the GPA’s membership.

A terse and uncomfortable speech followed betwixt Cusack and Joanne Cantwell earlier past Saturday’s Munster SHC sum connected RTÉ television, erstwhile the Cork autochthonal took umbrage astatine being asked to explicate his Tailteann Cup comments.

“We’re present to speech astir hurling and present we’re talking astir Gaelic football,” replied Cusack.

[ The Tailteann Cup deserves amended than the casual derision of Dónal Óg Cusack ]

Given the unprecedented fig of title games taking spot this year, it is rather singular however the Tailteann Cup has remained truthful newsworthy – albeit much for what is happening disconnected the tract than connected it. This is the 2nd twelvemonth of the second-tier shot championship.

“It’s inactive precise young,” added McCarthy. “I would suggest that we don’t privation to person a sophomore slump, I deliberation I utilized that operation before.

“I deliberation it’s going good successful the discourse that counties are getting games and that’s what they asked for, and past we’ll spot however it evolves. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot erstwhile we get to the playoffs, and past evidently the last is going to beryllium successful Croke Park.”

McCarthy was speaking aft welcoming representatives from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were successful Dublin to formally motorboat their NFL selling rights statement for Ireland. The GAA president believes a regular-season NFL crippled volition instrumentality spot astatine Croke Park wrong the adjacent 5 years.

However, McCarthy does not spot the International Rules betwixt Ireland and Australia being revived successful the adjacent future.

McCarthy says determination are nary plans to reignite the series, highlighting the caller divided play arsenic a contributing origin successful the GAA’s position.

“Yeah, it’s disconnected the array for the foreseeable aboriginal due to the fact that what you’d beryllium doing is asking a subordinate to determine betwixt his state and his club,” explained McCarthy.

“Players who are going to beryllium connected the planetary rules squad are much than apt going to beryllium connected palmy nine teams, and that’s unfair. It’s not wholly gone but let’s spot however the divided seasons settee in, and past possibly we tin revisit it.

“But I mean astatine the moment, it is disconnected the table. They [Australia] haven’t been requesting it and I visited with them erstwhile I was astatine the Australasian games successful Melbourne successful October. They were knowing of it, truthful we agreed that it’s not going to hap successful the short-term, but it’s not evidently dormant either.”

McCarthy is besides reluctant to rise expectations astir a imaginable Katie Taylor rematch with Chantelle Cameron astatine Croke Park. Earlier this year, the GAA and Eddie Hearn had a somewhat prickly speech successful presumption of the outgo of renting Croke Park, and yet the Bray boxer fought successful the 3Arena past Saturday night.

McCarthy says determination person been nary conversations with Hearn oregon his squad astir a rematch taking spot successful Croke Park.

“We haven’t had immoderate exertion for them to travel back,” said McCarthy.” We’d surely speech to them, but I don’t however realistic selling retired Croke Park successful the discourse of selling retired the 3Arena.”

They could ever get Dónal Óg connected committee arsenic a promoter.