DÓNAL ÓG CUSACK has questioned the treatment of hurling by the GAA and called out president-elect Jarlath Burns for overlooking the sport.
Speaking on League Sunday, the All-Ireland-winner said there is inadequate support given to growing hurling outside its traditional strongholds.
“We all know the game at the top level needs more teams. It’s something not to be proud of, as a hurling person, the amount of counties who have actually won the Liam MacCarthy,” said Cusack.
“You’d have to question, in terms of the Association, where does hurling stand? We’ve seen an All-Ireland quarter-final last year played at lunchtime on a Saturday when nobody could see it.
“I noted the comments of the uachtarán-tofa [president-elect Jarlath Burns] over the last while. In most of the interviews I’ve seen, there has been very little said about hurling.
“Where is the director of hurling in Croke Park? I think all those things tell a tale.
“You’d have to call into question the structure that we are using at the moment. Does there need to be positive discrimination with all of these teams and give them extra credit for what they are achieving?
“The likes of Kildare and so on, should there be extra money going in there? Absolutely. But I’d question whether it should be going in there outside of the current county board structure.
“For example, look at Kerry. Kerry call themselves a great GAA county. Are they a great football county or a great GAA county?
“Hurling is part of the GAA and they’ve won only one All-Ireland as long as the GAA is in existence. We’re coming up on the 150th anniversary, they ain’t going to be winning anymore before then.
“All of those points are much deeper questions we have around hurling in the Association. I do believe hurling has been much better to the GAA than the GAA has been to hurling.”
When presenter Joanne Cantwell challenged his criticism of Burns before he has officially stepped into his new role, Cusack replied: “What I’ve said was, the interviews he has given, look at how many times he has referenced hurling.
“We can talk BS and we can be a yes man if we want but that’s the reality. Everything I’m talking about there are facts.”
Ex-Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy added: “When I was over the Hurling 2020 [GAA committee], I had a goal that everybody should get the opportunity to put a hurley into their hand.
“We have the best field sport in the world and too many people don’t get the opportunity to play the game.
“We have a long journey ahead but it needs a plan, it needs a vision, and it needs every county to buy into it.”
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