Gerald McCarthy has hit back at the striking Cork hurlers and slammed some of the statements made at their press conference last week as the Rebel impasse continues. McCarthy has been infuriated by some of the claims from the 2008 squad after Labor Relations Court expert Kieran Mulvey confirmed he will not act as mediator in the dispute second time round. In a statement McCarthy said the comments by the players last week were "self-serving and just more of the same." He also questioned a claim by youngster Kevin Canty that he had been in hospital for six days and missed two training sessions before McCarthy realized he was ill. McCarthy said, "How any young lad could stand up at a press conference to suggest that I was unmindful of the fact that he was in hospital, when he knew that I had visited him twice and brought him some DVDs on my second visit is deeply shocking to me. "Many of the other players' comments are invested with the same kind of construction and selectivity and confirm for me some of the influences that are at work here. "I must say I am astonished that a simple incident like Kevin's could have its way into the public domain and play any part in this dispute. "I have always been aware of my responsibilities to players who are injured and have always exercised that duty of care to the best of my ability." Like the players, McCarthy has called on the rank and file GAA members in Cork to sort this row out. He said, "The men and women who represent clubs are ultimately going to determine what set of values will shape Cork hurling for the future. And for me that's worth fighting for. "The people who mark the fields, who wash the gear, who ferry kids to games have a very important role in all of this. As far as I am concerned, they, and not the leaders of any group of elite players represent hurling in Cork."
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