| In this months feature I take time out to reply to Mr
Kevin Cashman recently acquired journalist for the Evening Echo who
takes pleasure in criticising Cork Hurlers and whatever village he take
a dislike to, at the time.
In one of his articles of which I print but a short extract he attempts to undermine Cork Hurling and the Players association and the article swings around wildly until it criticises Dungourney players in the early 1900's and he rounds off with a swipe at Castlemartyr for no apparent reason. I quote "The fourth player who refused to travel was William Hennessy, a millionaire from Castlemartyr, a place where they breed that species in some profusion, but little enough in the way of hurlers; being one of the last, unfortunate downtrodden, hamlets in East Cork which has never had a hurling team: surrounded by more able and happy neighbours like Killeagh and Ballynoe and Castlelyons and Killeagh and Killeagh and Midleton and Youghal and Cloyne and Killeagh and Carrig and Sars and Dungourney and Killeagh. James Kelleher was truly a great hurler - and a bad propagandist. The greedy players alliance are egregious hurlers - and worse propogandist." MY REPLY TO YOU MR. CASHMAN Kubla Khan In Xanadu did Kubla Khan What may you ask has a few lines of this famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1798) have in common with Mr Kevin Cashman? To which I reply many. 1. Neither Coleridge nor Cashman know anything about hurling, though in Coleridges case I am being presumptous 2. Both seem to write under some sort of artificial stimulant, though at least Coleridge admitted it. 3. Coleridge lived around 1800, Cashman seems stuck there. 4. Most people can't figure out what either of them are trying to say. As I'm from Castlemartyr I'm insulted over the piece. He put down Castlemartyr village and its GAA club and tried to exalt Killeagh. No-one I know in Killeagh would subscibe to the sentiments expressed, as everything they have achieved has been through hard work in good times and bad, by men who know the true spirit of GAA and what it means. They are embarrassed by it and if Mr Cashman is trying to report on whats going on then he should talk to people and then express their views rather than filling us with his outdated sense of whats right and wrong. If you are reading this on the web then you can visit other pages and see the history of Castlemartyr for yourself and see the time and effort being put into the club by many individuals. They deserve better and so do the great many players and officials who have gone before them whose memory is insulted by the comments. As one great character who has passed to his eternal reward once said "There are people in Castlemartyr who have forgotten more about hurling than you will ever know." As for the village itself, I am proud to be from there and many good community organisations are continually working hard to improve the area. They also deserve better. Why not visit the pages below when you are finished reading this article and see for yourself the village and its history. http://www.eastcork.com/cmartyrint.html http://homepage.eircom.net/~rickprendergast/castlemartyr/Page_1x.html (Ricky Prendergast's site) Also I will stand up for the Cork hurlers he criticises: What does he know about the demands on modern day hurlers. He never played himself and quite clearly cannot relate to the demands on young men these days around family and financial commitments. He criticises players and it is insulting to them and their families. No player ever got on the Cork team without a dedicated family behind him from an early age and continuing support throughout their career, and for the Bearded one to denegrate their efforts at hurling because it does not reach his required standard, is needless and pointless to men who are fulfilling their ambition to wear the RED jersey. If they are not good enough to play for Cork, then blame the men who picked them and not the players for giving their all. When he writes about players why can't he call them by their proper names? ( Tony Browne's favourite goalie) (Jack Nicholson lookalike from Blackrock) (The dandy duo from Newtown) . In All-Ireland week why did he not refer to one of the Kilkenny players as (The rich one from Kilkenny- courtesy of the Sunday Independent). Maybe he should write the column under the name David Bellamy's twin!!!! L to R Kevin Cashman, David Bellamy If you write about people who lived a long time ago, do you not realise they still have relatives living whom you insult. You claim in your article that Jamesy Kelleher was lucky to be related to you. I think he is turning in his grave at the thought of what you are writing. Also the Hennessy family that you wrote about are a much respected local family who have lived and served this area for a long time and have never been associated with any scandal. Can you say the same? Mr Cashman before you write any more articles please state in public:- Why you feel you can criticise anybody and what is your hurling pedigree that makes you an expert? Why are you no longer writing for any of the main Sunday Papers? What are the full details of your working career? What relations do you still have in Killeagh, that can keep you up to date with how people are feeling? I know all the answers and I will print them if one more article appears about Castlemartyr. Make sure you have no skeletons in the cupboard. "People in glasshouses should not throw stones" |
