GAA president weighs in on Donal Og Cusack and Joanne Cantwell row

The comments were "unhelpful."

The GAA president Larry McCarthy has weighed in on the issue that sparked the row between Donal Og Cusack and Joanne Cantwell on The Sunday Game. Cusack had said that football's tier-two competition, The Tailteann Cup was a 'Grand National for disappointed also-rans' something which Cantwell took exception to. The debate went viral on social media and people were either 'Team Cusack' or 'Team Cantwell', with some claiming that they should stick to talking about hurling, while others felt that it was fair for the pundit to qualify his remarks. https://twitter.com/GAA__JOE/status/1660267702420635649 "You decided to talk about the Tailteann Cup and refer to it as a Grand National for non-runners ... or for also-rans. Why would you do that?' asked Cantwell. "That's not exactly what I said," Cusack insisted, saying he'd been misquoted. McCarthy felt that the Workman's comments were unhelpful when the GAA were trying to make progressive changes and offer more games for teams who traditionally struggle in the championship.

"To make comments like that about the tiered system we have introduced in football was just simply unhelpful," the GAA boss said at NFL Global Markets Program announcement with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park "It's still very early, I would suggest we don’t want to have a sophomore slump.

"I think I used that phrase at Congress. I think it’s going well in the context that counties are getting games and that's what they asked for, and then we'll see how it evolves. "It will be interesting to see when we get to the play-offs, and then obviously the final is going to be in Croke Park." Related links:

• Tension in The Sunday Game studios as Joanne Cantwell puts Donal Óg on the spot over his Tailteann Cup comments
• "We've now given over 2023 to rugby country" Donal Óg and Jackie Tyrrell launch passionate hurling defence
• "That's not being a tough man" Donal Óg and Jackie call out hurling' head-high hits