A Tale Of Two Cities

Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald must think, at times, that he is walking a tight rope when ‘balancing the books’ between Cork and Limerick.

It is an unenviable task, as each county’s supporters have very strong views on where the big games should be played and who should get the lion’s share of the tickets etc.

Picture the scenario in Gaelic Games if you had a combined Cork and Limerick hurling team to manage.

In the amateur days, the ‘Big Five’, made up of three from Cork and two from Limerick, selected the Munster senior and junior teams. The ratio was switched every other year, with three from Limerick and two from Cork.

I remember, many moons ago, going to a meeting as a Munster junior selector and trying to pick the best team, regardless of Cork or Limerick bias.

The late Seamus Kiely of Thomond looked across the room at me, shaking his head. After the meeting Seamie took me aside, and put it on the line: “Limerick selectors vote for Limerick players, regardless,” he said. “They will vote for their own”.

When Alan Gaffney and Jim Williams arrived in Munster, they just couldn’t understand the divide, but they soon wised up.

In fairness, Declan Kidney and Niall O’Donovan did a lot to build bridges and the Munster professional players are firm friends off the field, whether they be from Cork or Limerick.

However the Munster fans still have some doubts.

Limerick supporters would be frothing at the mouth if Musgrave Park became the main Munster ground, so I would imagine Cork fans aren’t over the moon about all the Heineken Cup games being played in the new Thomond Park.

Garrett has balanced the books a bit for Magners League games, and the majority of those will be played in Musgrave Park.

The ticket allocation for Thomond Park is another big talking point, but here, the Munster clubs—17 senior and 51 junior—have joined forces to get an increase in allocation, much to the annoyance of the Munster Supporters’ Club.

Garrett will continue to walk the tightrope, but I think that great credit is due to Cork’s Noel Murphy and Tom Kiernan, Limerick’s Brian O’Brien and the late Tom Clifford, for their efforts in building the bridges between the Cities.

The Munster success story is a testament to their efforts.