Pat Ryan disputes Cork board claim about All-Ireland homecoming cancellation

Pat Ryan has insisted the decision not to have a homecoming after Cork’s All-Ireland SHC defeat by Tipperary was taken weeks in advance, and was not down to the players.

The Cork board sad on the Monday after the shock defeat at Croke Park in July that the decision not to stage a public event had been taken “at the request of the team and management”.

However Ryan, in an interview with the Irish Examiner, has disputed this, saying the decision had nothing to do with the players and was made prior to the All-Ireland final.

Ryan says that he and Cork’s board had decided that a homecoming would take place if they won, and would not take place if they lost.

“Well, the decision with the homecoming was decided weeks previous.

“Look, we got a lot of stick the year previous in that ‘oh, there’s a homecoming organised already’, but unfortunately – though in another way very fortunately, with the crowd that we’re bringing – you have to organise these things with the city council, with the guards and all that. And that has to be discussed before.

“When we had qualified out of Munster, that was actually the first question I was asked by the county board. ‘If we do get to an All-Ireland final, are we having a dinner? Are we having a homecoming?’ There was probably a bit of stick afterwards. It was agreed between the county board and myself, not the players, not in conjunction with the players, that if we win, of course, you’ll have a homecoming. If not, why would you?

“I wasn’t even thinking of the players, to be honest, but my thing was, after losing two All-Irelands in a row, why would you subject the public to coming down to do it? But that decision was made weeks and weeks prior.

“And I suppose that was probably disappointing from my side of things, that it kind of looked like we had made that decision in The Burlington (Hotel) on Monday morning.”

Cork players received criticism for the apparent decision to call off the homecoming at the time.

John Mullane said on the Indo Sport Podcast in July: “I think you have an obligation to go and face into your own people. Within the GAA, there is the good days and the bad days. The bad days drive you on to the good days.

“It can’t be all about celebrating and the pat on the back…

“You take the good with the bad. I think they’ve probably missed a beat here.

“I know they probably feel low today, it’s tough. Last night was probably tough for them, today would be extremely tough for them.

“But what do you do? You can’t just hide away from it. The people who would come out tonight would be the most loyal people, the young kids and supporters who adore you, who pay really good money week in and week out to go and support you…

“I wouldn’t say they’ve let themselves down. I think they will regret doing it when things die down in three or four months time.

“The first phase of redemption is facing your own people. I think they probably should have went ahead with that homecoming.”