Brian Cuthbert on Bishopstown's underage work, his time as Cork manager and modern football
Brian Cuthbert speaking at the official unveiling of the new facilities at Bishopstown GAA Club in 2022. Picture: David Keane.
In every corner of Ireland, there are GAA volunteers who are unsung heroes.
Former Cork minor and senior football manager Brian Cuthbert falls into that category as his love for Bishopstown over four decades is amazing.
Cuthbert (49) was born in Bishopstown and first arrived on the Cork inter-county scene as a 17-year-old lining out with the Rebel minors before progressing to the U21 side. He had the honour of captaining the minors to All-Ireland success in 1993 and always delivered for the Town.
After coaching at CIT, he ended up taking over the Cork minors and reached the All-Ireland final in 2010. He progressed to senior selector under Conor Counihan, before succeeding him for the 2014 and '14 campaigns.
“My late father and my two brothers Toddy and Pat have given years of service to Bishopstown but we are no different to many other families around this city and county,” Cuthbert said.
He's best known outside Cork for his stint as Rebel bainisteoir, where he came within a late leveller and some controversial refereeing decisions from lifting the 2015 Munster title in Killarney. Despite the disappointments over the two seasons, he has no regrets about filling the top job in Cork football.
“Look at that level it’s all about results and they were not good enough during my term but at the same time there is massive learning in it and 10 years ago I was a 39-year-old man interested in coaching.
"I'm glad I got that opportunity and when I finished, I just got on with life."
That chapter is now closed.
“To be honest I am immersed in the work I am doing at Bishopstown so I think that’s enough for me going forward in GAA."
The Town struggled in Premier Senior Hurling this summer but made the knockout stages of the SAFC.
"We did okay in that era and the '90s was similar but in the noughties, the whole area went into decline as our community basically aged and suddenly the numbers dried up and hence the pressure came on."
He can now see light at the end of the tunnel.
“In the last five put six years, we are witnessing an influx from young people buying houses in Bishoptown and that’s made a huge difference."
To halt the slide Bishopstown had to make changes.
“We had to have a rethink and try to do things better. We built a 4G pitch and added a huge gym but most of all putting time into coach education to our underage teams and hopefully, it will pay dividends."
Whatever about their results at adult level, the priority now is to nurture a new wave of young hurlers and footballers.
Their Premier 1 minor footballers were involved in a semi-final on Wednesday night against Mallow but Cuthbert was quick to praise the work put in by Leeside legend Larry Tompkins.
"Let me compliment the work of Larry because he has had this team for over two years, and you can see his prints all over the side and hopefully that work will be rewarded.
"We played Ballincollig earlier in the championship and put in a poor performance but the bottom line in this grade you don’t know what team is going to turn up and we will be hoping for a big display from our lads."
There is a general belief that football is now a bad watch and Cuthbert believes changes will need to get the doubters back.
“I think ultimately what attracts fans is the man-to-man contesting of the ball as the present trend to hand pass the ball across the pitch is something that people do not want to watch, and I am sure Jim Gavin and his committee in Croke Park will do their best to address the various issues."
Cuthbert has shown for many years that his love for the sport has never waned and his loyalty to his beloved club should be commended.
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