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“We’re independent of the county board but we’re not a counterforce to the board,” Owens said. “We’ve met them and we want a relationship with them. Our role is clearly defined and it’s to provide support for teams and games development. This evening’s event is our first home event as such and honours a man who is a legend everywhere in the GAA, not just Cork. We’ve had successful fundraising trips to San Francisco, Chicago and Boston in the last 12 months, and we’re delighted that Con is the focus of this event in Cork.

“We’re sure it’ll be a huge success. The money raised goes to Cáirde Chorcaí and to Cork Simon - absolutely none of it goes to service the Páirc Uí Chaoimh debt.”

Owens acknowledged that the recent revelations about the scale of the Páirc Uí Chaoimh debt has made their task more difficult.

“Does it make our job harder? Yes, because there’s been a negative reaction to those revelations, but that sense of shock and disappointment was not confined to Cáirde Chorcaí but was widespread among Cork GAA members and supporters.

“It’s been tempered somewhat by the board’s stance that the debt is not as high as reported, as did the appointment of Tom Gray and Michael O’Flynn to clarify the matter. We’ll await their report.”

And if the figure is as high as reported, or higher?

“In that case people will want answers, obviously, but that accountability and responsibility would be a matter for delegates and clubs. In that case then let the chips fall where they may.”

Owens fleshed out some of the areas in which Cáirde Chorcaí have already invested, such as a pilot scheme providing additional GDO coaches in various Cork GAA clubs; providing video analysis equipment for the senior hurling panel as well as a training day for the senior football panel; additional clothing/gear for the Cork U21 hurling panel, the Cork minor football panel, and a training day for the senior and intermediate camogie panel. Coaching, training facilities - a centre of excellence - and the additional high-performance needs of Cork teams over and above what the Cork County Board can provide, these were our stated funding aims before the stadium issue arose or the strategic review came out.

“And they remain our funding aims. Cáirde Chorcaí has established its own strict governance/approval procedures in regards to what gets funded, but the key is the organisation’s autonomy in this regard, directing the money as it sees fit for the betterment of Cork GAA.

“A big opportunity on the horizon is that we have been given a remit by the county board to explore opportunities for a training centre of excellence.

“Discussions so far have centred on a partnership model with the third level colleges in Cork similar to Munster Rugby’s arrangement with the University of Limerick. This would likely involve exclusive or priority use of pitches/gyms for Cork teams with shared use of facilities. The colleges have already commissioned third-party consultancies to do their own due diligence on their capacity requirements, so this looks to be progressing in earnest.”