In his weekly Hurling Nation address on RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland, Donal Óg Cusack hit out at the GAA's failure to spread hurling beyond the traditional counties. The three-time All-Ireland winning Cork goalkeeper also identified some steps which could be taken to make this happen.
This weekend, Joe McDonagh Cup winners Carlow face Dublin in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals while losing finalists Offaly play Tipperary.
"It's extremely likely that Carlow and Offaly will lose and neither team will play inter-county hurling again until next February," said Cusack.
"By then, the buzz from the Joe McDonagh will be long gone. They deserve better, and if we consider that in almost 150 years of stewardship the GAA has failed to expand the hurling map of Ireland even marginally, then hurling deserves better also.
"In fact, before the end of the second world war, 11 different counties had won All-Ireland hurling titles. Since the, just nine counties have. The last new name on the cup was Offaly themselves way back in 1981. We haven't had first time All-Ireland finalists since then and that's failure.
"We now have just two provincial championships for our national game. We have a Leinster competition with falling attendances and little tension and a Munster scene which seems to be thriving but just needs two teams to fall away before it follows the Leinster model. Imagine standing over a gravely ill relative and saying, 'No, no, I can feel a pulse. No need to call a doctor yet'. The GAA is the one refusing to call the doctor. Munster hurling is that pulse.
27 May 2023; Jack Clancy of Offaly in action against Fiachra Fitzpatrick of Carlow, left, and James Doyle during the Joe McDonagh Cup Final match between Carlow and Offaly at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
"We need a plan for hurling, not pats on the head, a plan for growth. Offaly are on the way back after a sharp fall that should never have been allowed happen. Teams like Carlow, Westmeath, Kerry seem stranded. Too good to slip out of the Joe McDonagh, not good enough for permanent progress.
"Small groups of heroic volunteers in so-called weaker hurling counties put together the odd good team and keep hope alive. What help do they get from the GAA leadership?
"They need finance and guidance for academies and career pathways, specialised hurling coaches arriving like missionaries, regional hurling centres, shared expertise for developing partnerships with local businesses to help funding of hurling, twinning mentoring arrangements with stronger counties, a guarantee of immunity from relegation for two or three years when Carlow make the Leinster championship. And that's just for starters.
"Rugby has marketed and grown itself brilliantly. Soccer produced a recent plan looking for half a billion in funding to develop their game here. The best of luck to them. Could we pay Guinness to come back and market the game a la the late 90s? Where's the GAA's campaign for the funding to preserve a sport and cultural asset which is as old and precious as our language? Imagine a kid in Carlow, Sligo or Donegal cannot hold a hurley in their hand today and realistically dream of playing in an All-Ireland senior hurling final.
"No number of pats on the head will change that. If you can, get out and watch Offaly and Carlow this weekend, they deserve it."
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