IT'S almost half a century since they both became household names in hurling circles practically overnight. Gerald and Justin. The appendage of the McCarthy surname isn't necessary to identify them such has been the impact they have made during the course of their involvement in top flight hurling at all levels – and have travelled a remarkably similar path since sharing in Cork's All-Ireland win in 1966.

Gerald captained the team to a shock victory over Kilkenny in the final 44 years ago, a result that ended a 12-year barren spell for the Rebel County at All-Ireland level. Later in 1966, he skippered the U21 team to All-Ireland glory as well, an achievement that remains unequalled to this day.

Justin was a polished midfielder on both successful Cork teams in 1966 when he was chosen as hurler-of-the-year, an accolade previously bestowed on just one player from Leeside, the legendary Christy Ring, who was selected in 1959. Justin didn't win a second All-Ireland senior medal, and he made his only other appearance in a final in 1972 when Cork fell to Kilkenny.

He had been a key figure at centre-back on the team, which won the league and Munster championship in 1969, but he suffered a serious leg injury in a road accident en route to training for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny that year. Coming just a few days before the clash with the Cats, Justin's misfortune was a major setback for Cork, and it would be fair to say that it was one of the reasons why they succumbed in the decider.

Justin missed out when Cork reached the summit at Wexford's expense the following year, but, against all predictions, he returned to inter-county hurling in 1972. Ultimately, however, the injury brought a premature end to his career at the top level, and he played his last game with Cork at the age of 29 in 1974. He was appointed Cork coach twelve months later, and he guided the team to a Munster title before unfancied Galway put paid to their All-Ireland aspirations in the semi-final.

Having conceded three goals in the opening quarter, Cork made a stirring comeback, which only just fell short, and, all things considered, their twopoint defeat would have been regarded as a freakish result. Still, Cork opted to dispense with Justin's services in the wake of it, paving the way for his recruitment by Clare in 1976.

Under his stewardship, Clare emerged from the doldrums to win back-toback National League titles in 1977 and 1978. They reached successive Munster finals in those years, and that they failed to make a championship breakthrough was simply because they reached their peak at the same time as the great Cork side which won three All-Irelands on the trot between 1976 and 1978.

He was back with his native county in 1984, working alongside Fr Michael O'Brien as Cork claimed the Centenary AllIreland, and his penchant for delivering silverware was evident again during a stint with Waterford which began in 2002.

In his first season at the helm, the Decies lifted the Munster title to bridge a 39-year gap. They won two more, 2004 and 2007, and they were also crowned league champions in '07, tasting national success for the first time since 1963 in the process.

Gerald played in six more All-Ireland finals after 1966, and he won five medals in all before calling it a day following the semifinal defeat by Galway, which foiled Cork's bid for the four in-a-row in 1979.

As with Justin in the Centenary year, he worked as coach to a team managed by Fr Michael O'Brien, which came from nowhere to win the All-Ireland in 1990 – a momentous year for Cork's GAA fraternity in that the footballers went all the way as well. He preceded Justin as coach to Waterford, transforming the Decies from no-hopers into genuine championship contenders after assuming the reins of control in 1997.

In his second season in charge, he steered Waterford to a league final, which was lost to Cork in a memorable encounter, and to an All-Ireland semifinal, which resulted in an agonising one-point defeat at the hands of Kilkenny. In 1999 Waterford lost a thrilling Munster semi-final to a Cork side that went on to win the All-Ireland, and they endured two more frustrating seasons before Gerald decided he could take the team no further.

But nobody could deny that Waterford made great strides under his leadership, and that he laid the foundations for the success they later enjoyed under Justin. This time last year Gerald was preparing for the league without all the members of the 2008 Cork panel, who, having outlined their misgivings about his management to the County Board, had railed against the decision to appoint him for another two-year term.

And Justin likewise now finds himself forced to work with a makeshift squad following the player-revolt in Limerick that has dominated the headlines over the winter months. The backdrop to both disputes is slightly different, of course.

Aware that the players had lost all confidence in Gerald, it was hardly a wise move by officialdom in Cork not to look for a replacement last year.

Justin, by contrast, has still a year to run on his contract, and it seems as if his troubles only began after he axed 12 of the 2009 panel in October, and another 12 opted out, citing the failure of their discarded colleagues to receive any sort of notification as the reason for their grievance.

Given their annihilation by Tipperary in last year's All-Ireland semi-final and the fact that Limerick haven't as much as a Munster title to their credit since 1996, Justin's desire for change in the panel seems perfectly understandable. Interviewed in The Corkman prior to last season's league clash with Cork, he said his aim was to build for the future, adding he was satisfied there were plenty of young hurlers available in Limerick who would become 'future stars.'

Whether or which, Justin, as team manager, had the right to introduce some fresh blood this season, and if the current impasse on Shannonside has come about purely because of poor communication, it's regrettable to say the least.

Even more regrettable is that a couple of evergreen and distinguished hurling stalwarts like Justin and Gerald should find themselves embroiled in such traumatic and divisive conflicts in the latter stages of their careers.

Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the issue in both instances, that's something which no genuine GAA follower would have wanted to see.

- Noel Horgan's