Former Cork hurler Donal Óg Cusack has taken another swipe at streaming service GAAGO for failing to promote hurling in Ireland.
The subscription service, which has a partnership with Irish state broadcaster RTÉ, came under fire last year for its lack of games being broadcast on different weekends. The pay-per-view model has upset many hardcore fans of Gaelic games.
In the past, Donal Óg has claimed that hurling needs oxygen to survive, and GAAGO and the state broadcaster have failed in their duties to do so.
This week, Donal Óg has reignited the topic and questioned the decision by GAAGO to promote the Tailteann Cup, a second-tier football competition, over the likes of the Joe McDonagh or Christy Ring Cup matches this weekend.
"None of the Joe McDonagh or Christy Ring Cup matches are among the 38 championship games being shown on GAAGO this summer," the Cork native said on Morning Ireland.
"No fewer than seven Tailteann Cup games will be featured. Why? Because football is more important? Who knows.
"The senior hurling championship involves 34 matches, and the football championship involves 64 matches. For some reason, those 34 hurling games have to be squeezed into the cracks in the football schedule.
Dónal Óg Cusack previews the weekend's hurling and asks where does the government of Ireland stand when it comes to supporting not just the sport but a cultural cornerstone?https://t.co/y39QPsVprQ pic.twitter.com/pIzXPDbNuX
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 10, 2024
"The All-Ireland hurling final has to be done and dusted before the football showpiece. Why?"
In the same interview, the former Cork keeper also once again blasted GAAGO and its bosses for failing to enrich a cultural cornerstone of the country.
"It is commonly acknowledged that hurling needs oxygen. This weekend, the people charged with promoting the game have given up that opportunity in order to sell subscriptions to a commercial entity. A commercial entity that does hurling in Ireland provides very little service.
"With this evidence of a glaring leadership vacuum and the sport's visibility at stake, Hurling Nation asks where the government of Ireland stands when it comes to supporting not just the sport but a cultural cornerstone."
