SEAN Boylan was almost in tears as Ireland defeated Australia in Melbourne on Friday night to secure victory in the Compromise Rules series and bring the Cormac McAnallen Cup home. The visitors lifted the trophy for the first time since 2004 on a 57-53 aggregate score to the delight of Boylan and his squad.

"To me this is an extremely nostalgic night, just to see Sean Cavanagh going up there tonight," said Boylan after McAnallen's former Tyrone teammate Cavanagh lifted the trophy.

"The last time Ireland won that series out here Cormac McAnallen was playing out here with the light of heaven on him.

"For Sean, as his neighbor, friend and a Tyrone man, to have three of his colleagues here lifting the Cormac McAnallen Cup, to me has to stand right up there with anything I have been fortunate enough to have been associated with before.

"Some of us have been very fortunate in our lives to have been associated with many great events - none more so than for me than tonight.

"I am humbled that I have, in some way, played a small part in helping these lads to achieve the honor of representing their country and representing it in such a wonderful way.

"If somebody said to me or my late father or to anybody else that I would have the honor of managing an Irish team, I never would have believed that.

"I would have loved to have been a great player, and there's many a lad like me that would have loved to be a great player.

"I was never fortunate to have been but I was lucky enough to have an awful lot of people around me like Anthony Tohill, the Bomber Liston, Hugh Kenny, Sean Walsh and the lads.

"I was just lucky to have so many great people around me."

The former Meath manager is predicting a bright future for the series after the problems in Ireland two years ago were negated by an incident free tour this time around.

Boylan added, "This creates the opportunity for other players coming after the lads to maybe play with them and for other people to manage the team after myself, to give them that honor of representing their country - that's the most important thing in the world.

"It didn't matter who won or lost, as I said at the start. Football won out there tonight and that is the greatest thing of all.

"If Australia had won out there tonight, there wasn't a man in the Irish team that you could say let the side down because they all contributed so much to it."

Cavanagh led the celebrations as he lifted the cup in Melbourne and backed the future of the Compromise Rules series.

"You have to give it to this great sport," said the Tyrone man. "Some people don't like it but when you look at the two tests and especially out there tonight, you have 27 of the best Gaelic footballers going at it hammer and tongs.

"It is one of the most exciting games to play. I'll challenge anyone to say otherwise.

"To win this cup is a fantastic achievement for all the lads. It is really something special."

Ireland captain Cavanagh also paid tribute to the Aussies who will now play on Irish soil when the series resumes next year.

"The Australians are very patriotic," said Cavanagh. "They weren't going to lie down and be humiliated on their home turf, and they weren't.

"They came out in that third quarter and went for goals and played fantastic football. The level of sportsmanship that they showed before and after the game to us, every one of them wished us all the best when we were speaking to them.

"They were looking forward to coming back to Ireland next year. As I said whenever this game is being played the way it was played out there tonight, to me it's up with the best games in the planet."

Cork Revolt

THE Cork County Board has appealed to their hurling stars to show restraint as the threat of another strike hangs over the Rebel camp.

A majority of the current senior hurling squad has vowed to quit in protest at the re-appointment of Gerald McCarthy as manager.

The quit comes less than a year after strike action by the Cork players split the county, and the latest action seems more bitter than ever.

Cork County Board PRO Bob Ryan has now issued a statement outlining their position and calling for calm from all concerned.

"Attacks on the Cork County Board by a very small number of players have become something of a clich," claimed the statement.

"Cork County Board may have been guilty of misjudgments in the past, but few can deny that we have made adjustments to take account of changed times, new values and circumstances.

"But as representatives of the wider GAA family in Cork, we would ask the players, particularly those in leadership positions, to consider whether their current action and threatened action is justified, proportionate or fair.

"We sincerely appeal to them to step back from all of this, to resume their careers, to allow others to resume theirs, and to remember that Cork hurling is bigger than any individual, set of individuals or county board."

McCarthy, who has vowed to carry on as coach, has received the full backing of his county board.

The statement added, "The board re-affirms its support for its properly appointed hurling manager, Gerald McCarthy, and expresses its admiration for his resolve in the current, difficult circumstances.

"We have no wish to become involved in a tit for tat exchange of statements in the media with player representatives

"However, it is important to say this. Board members involved in the selection process for the new manager are at a loss to understand how player representatives could claim that the process was flawed from the outset."

All-star Ben O'Connor summed up the feelings of the players when he said, "This panel is ready to go the whole distance, we're ready to pull out, tell them to work away next year."

McCarthy has reacted angrily to the latest row and said, "I have watched with growing disbelief and distress the way in which this latest Cork hurling controversy has escalated in recent days.

"I have tried my best to understand how players have painted themselves into a corner and have threatened to undertake a course of action that will be hugely detrimental to Cork hurling.

"I have regrettably come to the conclusion that there is a pre-disposition to conflict among a very small number of Cork players.

"The fundamental issue here is whether players have a right to effectively appoint their own managers or veto the appointment of managers. I don't believe they should. It is undesirable, unworkable and untenable.

"I am desperately saddened at the manner in which younger players have been dragged into something that has nothing to do with hurling or sport. But I fully understand how difficult it must be not to be influenced by senior players whom they hold in such high esteem.

"If these young players are disposed to learning, they are on the cusp of great careers. My advice to them is to focus on hurling, not on the politics of hurling. They should be true to their ambition to be great hurlers and to represent their county.

"Some players are coming close to the end of their careers. If, for whatever reason, they do not wish to play under my management next season, fair enough. But for them to contaminate the atmosphere for up and coming, promising players would be a tragedy for everyone involved in Cork hurling."

Donegal Division

THE bitter managerial row in Donegal took another twist on Monday night when John Joe Doherty was installed as boss at a county board meeting.

The former Donegal star won a vote by 27-19, but beaten joint candidates Charlie Mulgrew and Declan Bonner are to make a complaint about the decision to the GAA's Disputes Committee.

Bonner and Mulgrew, who both addressed Monday night's meeting, were annoyed that Doherty was allowed speak to delegates last month.

"We're here to get the same opportunity as John Joe. He has dragged our names through the mud," Mulgrew told delegates.

Bonner added, "I'm not here to canvas for votes or anything like that, but at this stage the whole process is flawed."

Doherty's appointment is now set to be tarnished by the protest from Bonner and Mulgrew, while the Donegal players are expected to issue a statement on the row later in the week.

GAA Shorts

KILANERIN won the Wexford county football title on Saturday but immediately withdrew from the Leinster Club championship as they were expected to play Meath's Navan O'Mahonys on Sunday, less than 24 hours after their win . . .

FORMER managers Mattie Murphy and Noel Lane have been nominated to succeed Ger Loughnane as Galway hurling boss. Also nominated are John McIntyre, Gerry Spellman, Jimmy Heverin, Anthony Cunningham and Vincent Mullins . . .

LIAM Hayes has withdrawn from the race to succeed Colm Coyle as Meath manager for business reasons. Eamonn O'Brien and Sean Kelly remain favorites for the position . . .

ANTRIM'S O'Donovan Rossa will meet Tipperary's Drom and Inch in the final of the All-Ireland senior camogie club championships on Sunday, November 16 . . .

MUNSTER won the football title and Leinster secured the hurling title in the M Donnelly Inter-Provincial finals in Portlaoise on Saturday night . . .

MEATH selector Dudley Farrell has expressed an interest in succeeding Tommy Jordan as manager of the Sligo football team . . .

FORMER Tipperary defender Colm Bonnar is in the frame to succeed John Meyler as Wexford hurling coach.