Former Kilkenny hurling manager and current Hurling Development Committee member Brian Cody during the Hurling Development Committee media event at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
Brian Cody wants every child in Ireland to have the opportunity to play hurling or camogie.
The former Kilkenny manager is a member of the newly formed Hurling Development Committee and his first priority in his role is to help develop policy and initiatives that will grow the game in parts of the country where it has currently little presence.
“That's the real thing,” Cody told GAA.ie. “The first thing we have to do is try to give young children the opportunity to play the game because that's not happening everywhere.
“And if you do give them the opportunity I know that they do love it. They absolutely love it. That's really the starting point for the committee.
“Hurling is part of our culture, it's our national game. The quality of the game itself is terrific obviously. When people see it and watch it they do see how terrific it is. Children want to play the game so let's give them the opportunity.
“I'm very happy to be involved. Jarlath (Burns) rang me up and asked me would I get involved and he was obviously so enthusiastic himself about it and he made it very, very clear as to his commitment to doing everything possible to make a difference.”
At a media briefing yesterday in Croke Park, the Hurling Development Committee chaired by Terry Reilly announced the advertisment for the role of a new National Head of Hurling and set out the job spec for it
It’s the first time that hurling will have someone driving its development in such a role since Martin Fogarty’s five-year term as National Hurling Development Manager came to an end in 2021.
Kilkenny manager Brian Cody with selector Martin Fogarty, right, during the 2013 Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Quarter-Final, Offaly v Kilkenny, O'Connor Park, Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Picture credit: Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE
Fogarty did huge work to grow the game in the developing counties, and is also a member of this newly constituted HDC alongside his former Kilkenny hurling management team comrade in arms, Cody.
“It's hugely important that Martin is part of that committee because what of what he was involved with as Director of Hurling and the experience he had while he was in that role,” says Cody.
“And, also, the absolutely commitment he has to making a difference and improving the situation.
“The knowledge he has been able to pass on to the committee about the things that really need to be done from his point of view was considerable, so it's very important that he's part of this committee.”
Fogarty travelled all the highways and byways of Ireland to promote hurling during his term as National Hurling Development Manager and Cody himself is no stranger to some of the hurling hot-spots in the developing counties.
What he has seen whenever he has travelled to them is that the people promoting hurling in them are just as passionate about the game as anyone in his own native county is.
“There's no doubt about it,” he says. “I've had the opportunity over the years to present medals or just go to clubs and the passion that they have there is no different to the passion for the game in Kilkenny or Tipperary or Cork or Galway or wherever.
“That has to be nurtured and those people have to be given the support that they need.
“This can't be something that we're just here for three years and that's it. We want to put structures in place for the long-term that others will carry on.
“What they will look like in 10 or 20 years’ time will be the proof of how successful we have been. Hopefully the game will be seen to be strong and supported in all the counties.
“It's also very important that the counties that are strong stay strong and all the various competitions like the McDonagh, Ring, Rackard, and Meagher competitions that have made such a difference, that that progress there is seen to continue.”
