CORK CAMOGIE MANAGER Paudie Murray says his side were always aware that they would need to bring Orla Cronin’s appeal to the Direct Resolutions Authority [DRA] to ensure her availability for the All-Ireland final.
Cronin was cleared to play late on Saturday night at a DRA Tribunal which considered the three-match ban she received for a red card in the semi-final against Kilkenny.
She had been sent off for a striking offence, a decision which was appealed to the Hearings Committee and the Appeals Committee earlier this week, and was rejected. Her case was then brought before the DRA where she was given the green light to line out against eventual winners Galway.
“It had nothing to do with me and the team,” Murray replied when asked about the impact of the appeal process on his side this week.
He also praised Cronin for the performance she produced in the aftermath of the whole saga and stressed that her six-point display was “nothing more than I was going to expect from Orla.”
Murray also explained that Cronin did not train with the team this week and said that Cork always expected to be going to the DRA in the hope of finding a resolution.
“I have had an experience of the THDC [Transfers, Hearings and Disciplinary Committee]. I knew where this was going no matter what. I think Orla knew that as well and she was quite relaxed about it, that these hearings are a waste of time.
“She always knew she was going there [DRA]. Grasping at straws if I went down that road.
“I don’t particularly want to say too much because I don’t want to take away from a Galway victory. It might be skewed in a certain way that I have sour grapes.”
When asked about when Cronin was informed of the decision, Murray replied:
“I was in bed before the decision was made. I certainly didn’t [tell her]. I haven’t been involved in the process but I think they were quite confidet that once they got in front [of the DRA] that there was only going to be one result there. Orla was preparing herself really from Friday evening onwards.”
The Cork boss admitted that Galway were “probably” the better side over the duration of their tense battle at Croke Park which saw his side fall short on the 1-15 to 1-12 scoreline.
Cork were the first team to score a goal, when Katrina Mackey blasted the Galway net heading into the final quarter of the game. But Cathal Murray’s outfit struck back shortly after with a goal of their own from the stick of Siobhán McGrath.
“Probably retreated a small bit,” Murray says about the aftermath of the Mackey goal.
“In doing that we lost a lot of breaks in and around our own half-forward line. I am disappointed with that. We could have managed that better. It was nip and tuck. Small things probably decide games and that is probably one area where we fell down on.
“I am disappointed. Fair play to Galway. Probably over the hour the better team. Their conversion rate was much better than ours. It comes down to putting scores on the board, we were second best in that area.
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