Rebelution: March on the Pairc

5th Mar 2009

Rebelution: March on the Pairc
Statement from PROC Members

On February 7th last the people of Cork met in the city centre to send out a message. This message was simple. It was an expression of solidarity with a group of men who have spent most of their lives with one aspiration – to represent the people of this County and bring home the kind of success the people of Cork deserve.

10,000 plus Cork supporters ignored and branded 'shoppers'

This message, {like so many aspects of the organisation} was neglected and largely ignored by those that safeguard the games for us all, with a casual scorn poured upon official numbers as non-members and shoppers. Insulting the people you rely upon for support is more than simply biting the hand that feeds.

Michael Moynihan of the Irish Examiner recently wrote that “The suggestion that the marchers were semi-detached fans or Saturday shoppers has also rebounded spectacularly; if those marchers weren’t GAA members it’s yet another constituency the Cork County Board executive has alienated — the ‘casual’ fan. The GAA elite, the GAA grassroots, the GAA’s top box-office draw, the GAA support: is there any group the Cork County Board can’t alienate?”

And it is through that deep sense of alienation that we call passionately upon people one more time to continue showing such resilience in trying times.

We call on all the people that the GAA hierarchy in Cork have managed to alienate and use this once in a lifetime opportunity to make their voices heard.

We call on all men and women from every part of the County, from Bantry to Ballycotton, from Crosshaven to Castletownbere, from the player that leads out his beloved club mates on County final day to the last person out of the dressing room who switches off the lights.

We call on disaffected administrators and former players to re-engage.

We call on the volunteers, clubmen and clubwomen, who wash jerseys, line pitches and clean dressing rooms, make tea and sandwiches, organise lotto tickets, medal ceremonies, drive cars and train and coach the children and the future of our organisation, the chairmen secretaries and treasurers who organise matches and fill out forms so the supporter can enjoy the big days in Croke Park and Thurles.

And finally to those very same supporters we call on you who demonstrated so willingly a month ago to once again show our inter- county players the sacrifice they make on our behalf will never be lost or forgotten, neglected or ignored.

Kennedy Park 1.30pm On Sunday Cork Supporters, family members and people of all ages are invited to convene to march to Pairc Ui Chaoimh in support of our players –both hurling and football. Cork footballers play Fermanagh at 2.30pm and many marchers intend to enter the stadium to support the Cork players.

Next Sunday will be a defining day in Cork Sport. The clubs will return a verdict on the current predicament and the matter will draw ever closer to a conclusion.

Meanwhile our footballers take to the field on Sunday afternoon against Fermanagh at Páirc Ui Chaoimh and they deserve our unfailing support and gratitude.

It is there and then that we, supporters of Cork GAA, will get one final opportunity to show the players they have a mandate from the ordinary people of this great County.
That we refuse to be ignored by the intransigence of the board.

That it is the players who we believe in to further the aims and ambitions of the County while delivering on the hopes and dreams of us all.

And the sense of disenfranchisement we all feel is no longer acceptable if we are to nurture Cork GAA into the future.

We are a proud people in Cork. We love our hurling and our football.

In the words of Timmy MacCarthy ‘all we want is what’s best for our families, best for our clubs and best for Cork.’ Why should we settle for anything less?