Barry Murphy role in doubt

THE future of Jimmy Barry Murphy as Cork hurling manager was thrown into doubt last night when the county board declined to pass a motion reappointing him and his two selectors and proposing, instead, a five-man selection committee.

This committee would include the outgoing selectors, but they would be joined by a representative of the county champions and a representative of the county board.

After the encouraging display by the county in narrowly losing to Clare earlier this month, a motion had been set down proposing that Barry Murphy and his two selectors, Tom Cashman and Fred Sheehy, be reappointed.

The proposal was unusual in that the Cork hurling selectors have traditionally included a nominee from the county champions. Sheehy was the representative of last year's champions, Avondhu, and replaced Tony O'Sullivan, who had been nominated by Avondhu's predecessors, Na Piarsaigh.

Jimmy Barry Murphy was unavailable for comment last night, but sources within the county had earlier indicated that the manager would "consider his position" if the motion wasn't passed. One of the terms on which he accepted the original appointment two years ago was that the old, five-man selection committee be reduced to three.

Ironically, it was the first selection committee, which included O'Sullivan, that was termed "The Dream Team", a sobriquet that indicated the unhelpful levels of expectation when the new management team took office.

Among the consequences of last year's heavy championship defeat by Limerick was that Barry Murphy and Cash man were in no position to set conditions on completing their term of office.

Against the backdrop of last autumn, when he took up his appointment as a selector, Sheehy has been a bit of a surprise to all concerned. Little was known about him at the outset, but in the meantime he has impressed both the county officials and his fellow selectors.

"He has been a great success" according to Barry Murphy. "He's been fair to everyone and has sound judgment on everything he has to deal with."

There had been apprehension that the motion would run into difficulty with the clubs unhappy at losing their potential input into the team with the suspension of the county champions' entitlement to nominate a selector - and establishing a precedent that might see the entitlement vanish forever.

After the disappointment of defeat at the Gaelic Grounds had receded a little, the mood in the county became more upbeat. With next month's league quarter-finals to come, Cork have the opportunity to continue in training for a few weeks yet, and maybe beyond.

Details of those quarter-finals emerged yesterday. Cork and Kilkenny tossed a coin for the right to home advantage, which Cork won. As a result, the counties' quarter-final will lake place in Pairc Ui Chaoimh at 7.30 on July 19th.

The other quarter-final, between Tipperary and Dublin, is scheduled for the previous Saturday, July 12th, at a venue yet to be decided. In the semi-finals, the winners will play Galway, with Limerick awaiting the survivors of the Cork match.

Venue problems of a different nature have arisen in Kerry after Clare's sensational defeat of Cork in Sunday's Munster semi-final. The Munster final had been pencilled in for Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney on the basis that it would feature Cork and Kerry. Now that Cork are out, Kerry or Tipperary, who play in the other semi-final this weekend, will face Clare in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick.

This represents a double headache for Kerry. Not alone will they now forfeit home advantage should they reach the final, but the valuable gate receipts would have helped defray the costs of a major renovation that has been taking place at the ground this spring.

ironically, the league final between Cork and Kerry which was due to lake place in Killarney had to go ahead in Cork so as to allow work to proceed on getting the stadium ready in time for the Munster final.

Sean Kelly, chairman of the Kerry county board and vice-chairman of the Munster Council, expressed the county's frustration. "It was all ready to go. Terracing has been built on the hospital side of the ground extending around to the dressing rooms, and a state-of-the-art press box was constructed above."

Now there is no big match scheduled this summer for the much-improved ground and its new capacity in excess of 40,000 - 8,000 seated.

"We're praying for a draw in the hurling final," said Kelly, who added that the idea of allocating the Munster hurling final to Killarney had been tossed around but dropped because the completion dale isn't due until the middle of July.

This, according to Kelly, could have been hurried up had there been any urgency, but, on the basis that the football final was expected to be played there, no one pushed the issue.