Paul Flynn defends football coverage as Dónal Óg Cusack calls Tailteann Cup ‘Grand National for disappointed also-rans’

Paul Flynn and Dónal Óg Cusack

FORMER Cork goalkeeper and RTE pundit Dónal Óg Cusack has doubled down on his controversial comments about the lack of coverage of the hurling championship round-robin games on national television.

Speaking on ‘Morning Ireland’, Cusack was unrepentant about his strong view that hurling is suffering from a lack of exposure.

“The GAA schedule has two provincial football finals and the start of the Tailteann Cup, which if you haven't heard of, is a sort of Gaelic football Grand National for disappointed also-rans,” he said.

“This means that we’ve one big hurling game at tea-time on Saturday and available for viewing, you know where.

“Say what you like but it beats having three hurling championship matches throwing in within the space of two hours on a Saturday evening – something the rushed calendar has given us.

“Waterford versus Clare are doing battle on the sacred turf of Semple Stadium. It’s a game you’d buy a ticket for just to watch Davy Fitz and Brian Lohan stalking and eyeballing each other up and down the sideline.”

Dónal Óg added: “So good luck citizens and keep beating the hurling bodhrán with no apologies. This is hurling, this is 2,000 years of tradition handing down from generation to generation.

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“It's older than the samurai, older than the soccer, the rugby, the Super Bowl, it’s older than whatever you’re having this morning.

“It’s not just any sport, it’s Skellig Michael, it’s the Cliffs of Moher, it’s the Giant’s Causeway, it’s Glendalough, it’s the Book of Kells but with better stories.

“It needs ring-fencing, proper financing and proper marketing, it needs protecting and preserving.

“As they say, you can’t make soup out of promises and from lip services to streaming services, the game has had enough of promises.”

Six-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin, Paul Flynn,

“Regardless of what Dónal Óg might have to say about football, the Tailteann Cup, similar to the Ring, Rackard, Meagher, McDonagh competitions in hurling are really important to offer developing counties compete in a competition they can win.

"But as importantly as that, is to allow them evolve as a group and every team needs that and they won’t evolve playing in the Sam Maguire and getting beaten convincingly week in, week out. So he (Donal Og) is well aware of the importance of these competitions to developing counties, both in hurling and in football.