Larry McCarthy: 'Dónal Óg Cusack's comments around the Tailteann Cup were not 'helpful'

GAA President Larry McCarthy has claimed that Dónal Óg Cusack's comments around the Tailteann Cup were not 'helpful.'

Cusack first appeared on The Sunday Game to explain his disappointment regarding the GAA not showing hurling games in the Munster Championship, saying that 'hurling needs oxygen.'

The former Cork goalkeeper then went on Morning Ireland and described the Tailteann Cup, a second-tier football competition, as 'a sort of Gaelic football Grand National for disappointed also-rans' this month.

The Cork native was then called out by GAA presenter Joanne Cantwell for his comments, leading to a heated exchange between them.

GAA president Larry McCarthy acknowledged that Dónal Óg Cusack’s disparaging remarks about the Tailteann Cup hadn’t gone unnoticed in Croke Park, noting that they "weren't helpful" https://t.co/bLAJhjPPGi

— Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) May 26, 2023

McCarthy became the latest figure in the GAA to be asked about the comments and said, "They weren't helpful, particularly in terms of...we obviously have a very successful tiered system in hurling, and to make comments like that about the tiered system we have introduced in football was just simply unhelpful," said McCarthy this week at an NFL's Global Markets Program.

The outgoing GAA boss also added that despite its criticism, the competition is going well.

"It's still very young. I would suggest that we don't want to have a sophomore slump. I think I used that phrase at Congress and subsequently."

"I think it's going well in the context that counties are getting games, and that's what they asked for, and then we'll see how it evolves. It will be interesting to see when we get to the playoffs, and then obviously the final is going to be here."