By John Martin
WHEN looking for subject matter to fill column inches at this time of year, provincial club championships usually provide the main outlet for debate, controversy and opinion.
That is of course, until you look towards Munster. Last year we had the Cork impasse, this year Clare are providing the off-field entertainment in the form of hurling's latest example of player power.
Next week it will probably be Limerick's version of 'Vive la revolution' that will be occupying these pages, and so it continues, ad infinitum.
But back to Clare. Here is a brief rundown for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the ongoing saga of Mike McNamara, the Banner players and the county board. (And no, this isn't Cork 12 months ago).
* In early October, 17 of the Clare players had a meeting and decided they weren't happy with McNamara, and Brian O'Connell then relayed that message to the manager, who was suitably unimpressed but unmoved, and promised changes next year.
He also scotched any notion that he would be stepping down of his own accord.
* A letter was then penned by the squad, stating their dissatisfaction with McNamara and sent to the county secretary to be read out at the county board meeting of October 27th, however this letter wasn't read out at the meeting because it contained no signatures.
* McNamara addressed that meeting and received the unanimous backing of the club delegates to see out his third year as manager. He also stated that he was to meet with the squad on October 29th, and said that he would be giving a review of 2009 at the next board meeting on November 10th.
Also at that meeting, county chairman Michael O'Neill asked for some time to get the players, management and board officers together to try and work towards a solution.
* The players cancelled the scheduled meeting with McNamara due to half the panel being unavailable through study, club or work commitments, however on November 1st, players met amongst themselves after the Clare county final.
A total of 28 players were present, and a vote of 'no confidence' in McNamara was passed by 27 votes to one.
* On the back of this vote, the players re-submitted a signed letter stating their dissatisfaction with McNamara. The letter was subsequently placed as an agenda item on the county board meeting of November 10.
Meanwhile, O'Neill stated that he was not of the opinion that a strike was in the offing, and he was continuing attempts to try and resolve the issue which included personal phone calls to members of the panel to try and ascertain specific grievances.
* On the board meeting of November 10, the players' letter was read out. McNamara also addressed the meeting.
There are conflicting reports as to what McNamara said. Some reports quote McNamara as saying 'it would be difficult for the current management team to work with the 2009 panel now', and intimate that he was set to stand down until a massive show of support from delegates persuaded him otherwise.
Delegates were apparently unhappy that the players' letter didn't specify what the actual issues are. Other reports suggest that McNamara outlined why he should be kept on and pledged to work with the board to resolve the issues with the players.
Either way, McNamara was endorsed and he stated on RTE afterwards that he would be trying to get a meeting with players over the next week. The parallels with last year's situation in Cork are uncanny, and although the strike option hasn't been mentioned publicly by players, it has no doubt reared its head in private conversation.
I don't think the 'nuclear option' will chosen by Clare for two reasons. The first is that they don't have the public support enjoyed by Cork, or as Ger Loughnane put it 'they don't have the medals to win a PR war', and two, Mike Mac will go long before that particular button is pushed.
His comments at Tuesday's county board meeting, and an interview with RTE on Wednesday morning, suggest that Mike Mac doesn't have the stomach for a fight that Gerald McCarthy displayed this time last year.
Meetings are to take place over the next week, but my guess is that if it they don't bring a speedy resolution, Mike Mac will become the latest victim of hurling's new era of player power.
Gall's
WITH all the attention surrounding St Gall's footballers over the past week, it's easy to forget that the club's hurlers have an All Ireland semi-final in 10 weeks' time.
The West Belfast club won the Ulster Intermediate title against Middletown last month after cruising through the provincial campaign, scoring 16-41 and conceding just 2-24.
Traditionally Senior championship campaigners in Antrim, the club's committee made the decision to drop down to Intermediate level this year, and although the Falls Road side have shipped some criticism, manager Darren McKeown points out that the hurlers of the club do not have anything like the haul of silverware harvested by their footballing club-mates.
"Most people probably thought we were a bit strong for Intermediate this year, but while many of our players will have eight or nine football championship medals, most of the lads have been hurling for the club for years and this year was their first senior club medal," he said.
"They would love to do something with the hurling team. There are a couple of the boys hitting the 30-mark, like Johnny Flynn and Terry Austin, and they want to give it a real good lash.
"We will be playing senior championship next year so we may not get the opportunity again to tog out in Croke Park, this is our chance. Like the footballers, they want to taste a bit of success."
Success at the highest level in both codes is becoming a remnant of the last century in most counties, however in recent weeks, Kevin Lynchs of Dungiven and Ballyboden St Enda's have both shown that hurling and football success can go hand in hand – at club level at least – even if it does mean a demanding schedule for the dual players.
For St Gall's, success at senior level has been the preserve of the club's footballers, although the hurlers have taken the occasional big scalp in Antrim. As recently as 2005 they reached the senior championship semi-final, where they lost to Loughgiel by 4-11 to 3-10. They also contested three under-21 finals in a row from 2001 to 2003 but lost all three to Loughgiel.
"We've had great underage teams and when those kids were coming through we were a Division 2 team and it was difficult to break into Division 1. When we did, we stayed there for a number of seasons but we just didn't have that backbone," said McKeown.
"The football (success) has come at the wrong time for us. Our lads have won nine championships in 10 seasons, it's hard to play hurling on the back of that but there is a good core of hurlers within the club, they all love their hurling and are fine hurlers in their own right."
St Galls have current Antrim stars CJ and Kieran McGourty, and 2008 Ulster GAA Writers Hurler of the Year Karl Stewart in their ranks, as well as a number of former county minors and under-21s – by usual standards the foundations for a meaningful assault on the Volunteer Cup were well in place.
"We were never put out of the football championship early, so never got that chance to put all our eggs in the one basket and make a push for it," said McKeown.
"I reckon it would have taken three years to do it, you can't do that in one year, you need to get experience behind you, definitely there could have been a senior championship success, but things didn't pan out that way we wanted."
For now, intermediate success at All Ireland level is the goal. McKeown travelled to Ballinasloe last weekend to take in the Galway Intermediate final between Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry and Meelick-Eyrecourt.
The game ended in a draw, with thomorrow's replay winner due to face Mayo champions Ballyhaunis in Sunday's Connacht final.
"While it was a very good standard, they are just hurlers like us, there is no big gulf in class. It is about how we prepare on the day," said McKeown, who is joined on the sideline by Donal Sheehan and Seamus McKenna.
"I'll be going back to tell the lads that they are just a hurling team, with the same stickwork, fitness and athleticism as ourselves."
The possibility remains that St Galls could be preparing for an All Ireland semi-final in both hurling and football in early 2010. Relations between McKeown and senior football manager Lenny Harbinson have been positive this year so far, despite the impression given by some press reports.
The hurlers' provincial campaign ran in tandem with the latter stages of the Antrim football champions and preliminary round of Ulster, but 'first shout' on dual players such as the McGourtys, Stewart, Sean Burke and Aodhan Gallagher was given to whatever manager who had the most pressing championship encounter.
"Priority was given to teams who were playing their championship match that weekend, so we had first call on the footballers on the Tuesday and Thursday prior to our championship games, which was tough on Lenny who was also trying to prepare for big games," said McKeown.
"We were happy enough to work that way but there are times when I have told dual players to rest up and when I've called training they have turned up anyway. The commitment has been excellent.
"CJ McGourty had broken his thumb in a football match and when we beat Dungannon, he went to see if he could get the cast off. That shows the commitment. Anything I've asked for they've done."
