Ahern peace offer spurned
Saturday May 25 2002
McCarthy 'not for turning' in Keane sacking row
MICK McCarthy last night spurned an unprecedented request from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to change his mind over the axing of Roy Keane.
Mr Ahern pleaded with FAI chiefs to persuade the manager to give Keane another chance.
He made the call to FAI president Milo Corcoran at the Irish camp in Saipan barely 90 minutes before the squad left to catch a morning flight to Japan yesterday.
Worried at the fall-out following Keane's World Cup KO for his stinging attack on McCarthy, the sports-mad Taoiseach indicated his willingness to broker a deal which could have catapulted the Manchester United star back into the Irish squad.
But when Mr Corcoran asked McCarthy would he listen to what Mr Ahern had to say, the manager's response was unequivocal.
"Mick wasn't for turning, not for Bertie Ahern or anyone. He told me he'd made up his mind and would I pass the word back to Bertie, which I did," Mr Corcoran said yesterday.
"Mick has the full backing of the association on team matters," he added.
Keane's World Cup axing was later brought up at a press conference after the Irish team was formally welcomed by the mayor of Izumo, Masahiro Nishio, at the Izumo Dome.
But McCarthy remained reluctant to make further remarks about his estranged midfielder, who flew to Tokyo from Saipan on his own yesterday.
"As far as I'm concerned that part of the trip (Saipan) and what happened there is history. I'm not going to discuss in with anyone, I'm not going to listen to opinions and analysis of it."
"I brought back Roy once already into the squad, I'm not doing it a second time.
"I'm moving onwards with the 22 players I've got with me. And that's the end of the matter," he added.
The Taoiseach was said last night to be still available to intercede in the row if called upon, his office said.
Keane himself cut a lonely figure as he left Saipan yesterday, but he insisted he had "no regrets" over what had happened.
He also made clear he was in no mood to consider feelers being put out by the FAI about a possible reconciliation.
FAI honorary secretary Des Casey said if Keane made a "very sincere apology" he could be back in the squad.
But before departing, the Corkman said he wasn't sorry about the bust-up with McCarthy.
"I feel absolutely great and I've absolutely no regrets," he said.
"I'm going home now, I'm going home to see my family and I'm looking forward to that.
"There are more important things in life and my family is at the top of that list."
But Denis Irwin, Keane's former team-mate for club and country, said: "I'm sure Roy will be feeling a very lonely man, but there are no winners in this, only losers."
Some newspaper reports in Britain yesterday said Keane had some personal domestic problems to confront on his return.
Earlier, Mr Casey said attempts were being made to resolve the dispute. Both sides would have to compromise, he said.
FAI chief executive Brendan Menton was due to meet McCarthy later this evening to discuss possible mediation with Keane.
"Hopefully if Brendan can make some headway in regard to mediation, it might not all be over, but it's not looking very good," Mr Casey said.
"I understand there were some contacts but we weren't speaking directly with Mick McCarthy or Roy Keane," he said.
- Philip Quinn in Izumo and Frank Khan
