LAST UPDATE | 25 May 2020
FORMER ALL-WINNING Cork skipper Seán Óg Ó hAilpín says he regrets the ‘filthy, callous, cold’ fall-out from the players’ strikes on Leeside in the 2000s.
Speaking on last night’s The Sunday Game, the All-Star wing-back also expressed sympathy for some of those directly affected by the various disputes with the county board — in particular, former coach Gerald McCarthy.
“That’s one thing I do regret, the casualties, that people did have to step down,” the Na Piarsaigh’s man said when talking about Bertie Óg Murphy’s 2002 departure during the first strike.
“The worst one,” he continued, “was ’09 and the one where there’s still aftermath… the biggest casualty out of that was Gerald McCarthy. Probably one of – if not the greatest – Cork greats having to step down.
“That’s 12 years on and not a day goes by when I think back to then, if things could have been done differently?
“There are certain actions, that would have been in hindsight… I can’t speak for the other players per se but I know myself, I would have said some stuff that during that time, with proper reflection, I was probably best to just keep my mouth shut.
“At the end of the day, you had one part of the organisation which was the playing group, which were looking to go that way and you soon realise that you’re not the biggest stakeholder or power broker — it’s the county board — that ultimately govern the association in Cork. And obviously they didn’t want to go that way with us and they were going the other way.
“And we were going poles apart completely and when you have two camps going opposite ways it was only going to lead to ringside tickets in Las Vegas because the aftermath was filthy, callous, cold.
“There’s a willingness now to just get Cork back to winning ways because you can talk about strikes or such a person but the reality is Cork hasn’t won an All-Ireland since 2005.”
Gerald McCarthy is a stone cold legend. What that man and his family were put through was absolutely sickening.
O’hAilpin and his mates should be embarrassed and feel guilty over how they behaved. It was totally wrong, in my opinion. It caused enormous fallout in Cork GAA which is still there to this day.
@Robb Stark: sportsmen by their trade need to win at all costs and there are always casualties in conflict Rob. Look at the Rog v bitch slapping Jonny Sexton in Australia in 2011 and his response in the Heineken cup. Or the Keane v Mccarthy siapen debacle. You have to admire all sides for fighting for what they want.
There are arguments for and against what Ger Mac did also.
@Robb Stark: Cork have never been the same since then. Egos! with too many wanting to have their input at all costs.
@Robb Stark: Did you not read the article?
That is what Seán Óg has just said in his statement.
I admire him for admitting his wrong doings, it takes courage to stand up in front of the media especially and apologise for the doing or the saying of something.
@M Ní Laoighre: he didn’t apologise. Said he had regrets. There’s a big difference.
@JJ: I agreed with the 1st strike the player where treated very unfair but this strike against McCarthy was a disgrace they were kids throwing the toys out of their prams
@Robb Stark: Donal óg Cusack was architect in chief and book alludes to as much where he decided alone who was good enough to lead Cork Hurling. The man still has people listening to him to this day. Why i will never understand. He is a bitter arrogant pleb who has done Zero since with any team himself.
@Robb Stark: As a Tipperary man who worked for many years in Cork I always felt that their advantage lay in their willingness to play the community spirit and not let personal disagreements lie in the way of collective gain. The players strike and the disagreement with the Cork county board led to a breach with that tradition from which Cork never seemed to recover. It is now eighteen years since they have won an all Ireland. That spirit of brotherhood and comradeship has been fatally compromised.
Player strikes or power moves very rarely if at all have positive outcomes
@my name: there was positive outcomes in both cases with the FAI.
Keane being sent home over the issues at the time led to vast improvements in the treatment of our players.
Equally the womens strike a few years back led to a big leap in their facilities and treatment
@my name: won Galway the elusive All Ireland (in theory anyway)
@Aaron Buckley: vast improvements at what cost to the rest of the association?
@TESSERACT2020: I did say rarely pal. I can think of two scenarios out west where it’s didn’t work out well at all at all
How about an interview with frank…..oh forgot he hasn’t done an interview in the whole 40 years
@David cotter: Frank is a great GAA man. He has been responsible for more All-Ireland winning teams than any other person.
He did an enormous amount of good for Cork GAA and that contribution will never be forgotten by true Gaels.
@Robb Stark: you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain ..
@Tommy Sheridan: all these people who moan about Frank Murphy – were they moaning when Cork did the 3 in a row in the late 70’s? When they won the double in 1990? Sam back to back in ‘89 and ‘90? Back to back hurling AI’s in 2004 and 2005?
@Robb Stark: Sure if ireland won the soccer world cup John delaney would still be in his job. Success hides corrupt administration. It doesnt mean corruption doesnt exist!
@Robb Stark: common rob..franks legacy is a disgraceful debt on a white elephant stadium…built by ..guess who.?????
@Robb Stark: you’d know your not a Cork man anyway…
@Robb Stark: different sporting environment these days Robb aswell you know. Cannot compare then and now. Different ballgame altogether and Frank Murphy is of the past ilk and hasn’t adapted to the present.
I always felt Sean óg was writing cheques he could not cash . He was an above average player but no more than that IMO.
He seemed to be constantly in the media ranting about this and that .
As Shefflin said before, the Kilkenny panel looked at the Cork panel and saw a blueprint for how to not behave. The rest was history.
@Lotus: athletic guy but could only strike from one side. His background made him interesting for the media single was over hyped. I was in DCU around the same time, decent fellow by all accounts.
@Goban Saor:
He hand passed an awful lot of ball as well I remember.
Very nice guy, obliging & polite in my experience
Sean Óg staying quiet? We’d never be so lucky.
Séan Og was never a man to let his brain catch up with his mouth. His comments after Limericks’s win in 2018 were disingenuous and begrudging.
@Collitov: I agree with you and Im not being a defensive Limerick man here.
Séan Óg tends to blather on a little without giving too much thought at times to what he is actually saying.
After that particular semi he suggested that “if it was at Munster Championship stage Cork would have prevailed”
Well I reckon “If my aunt was an astronaut she’d be flying rockets”
Its history now and Aug 19th 2018 was the day of days for long suffering Limerick Hurling supporters.
After the calamity of 2010 an All Ireland win 8 years later looked totally beyond realisation.
So credit to those who took the initiative to set the Academy structures in place.
We now have a realistic chance winning an All Ireland
@Collitov: what did he say after Limerick’s All-Ireland win in 2018?
Sean og spoke about Regrets and things he’d do differently .Bottom line is he didn’t apologize for any of the 2 strikes..So why bring it up ?..county board dont need hearing this right now.