The 16th Man

The GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee will today begin their investigation into the violent scenes which marred last Sunday’s All-Ireland JFC semi-final between Dromid Pearses and Derrytresk.

The CCCC officials are due to meet to review the official report of Leitrim referee Francis Flynn, who was on duty for the Portlaoise clash, and also analyse two videos of the game.

Both clubs have issued public statements regarding the much-debated brawl which erupted before half-time at O’Moore Park.

The statement issued on Wednesday by Dromid, who lost 1-10 to 0-7 and had two players sent-off, read: “It is now in the hands of the officials of Croke Park and in the hands of the CCCC.

“We are issuing this statement in order to prevent any further confusion on the matter and hope this will clarify matters for all concerned, we also trust that a review of the footage of last weekend’s game will speak for itself.

“In light of the game that occurred on Sunday last in Portlaoise, we felt that the issue of violence and public scenes of disturbance at GAA fixtures needed to be highlighted and acted upon in an official capacity.

“This incident has left us, our team, management and club as a whole feeling quite disturbed having enjoyed our run throughout this fantastic competition to date, and we are saddened that it culminated in the events of last Sunday.

“However, the fact that so many people were placed in danger cannot be left unnoticed.”



It added: “Failure to highlight issues such as this to us is no longer an option, Piarsaigh na Dromoda’s management and players have put their hearts and souls into this competition and stand by the fact that we believe that last Sunday’s game should have been called off immediately after the incident that occurred on the pitch, that saw many individuals enter the field and partake in the melee that occurred.

“To clarify our stance on the issue, we feel that the events of last Sunday should never have occurred and that it has highlighted issues that need to be examined from a health and safety point of view as well as the ramifications that it has on the GAA as an entity.

“However, the players, management and supporters of Cumann Peile Piarsaigh na Dromoda are all united in the knowledge that the CCCC will deal with this and assign appropriate punishment to those who instigated events.”

As Derrytresk hail from Tyrone and CCCC chairman Seamus Woods is from the same county, he will step aside for the hearing to avoid a conflict of interest. Vice-chairman Tommy Kilcoyne from Sligo will head up the meeting instead.

The Dr Crokes club in Killarney has issued a statement following what they say was a “misinterpretation” of earlier comments, that they wanted supporters segregated at their AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final against Crossmaglen Rangers at O’Moore Park, Portlaoise next month.

Chairman of the reigning Kerry and Munster champions Vincent Casey was quoted earlier today as saying, that after the violent scenes in Portlaoise last Sunday during the Dromid Pearses and Derrytresk All-Ireland JFC semi-final, he would hope for supporters to be in different areas of the Laois venue.

“We are looking for a block of tickets for our supporters so they can sit together in a particular area of the stand and therefore both sets of supporters can cheer on their team, without interfering or upsetting each other,” Casey told the Irish Examiner.

“It’s basic common sense and good practice really because we want the 30 players on the field grabbing the headlines afterwards, unlike the coverage our games have been getting over the past number of days.

“We are also looking for adequate stewarding in view of what happened there on Sunday…and also that they have a bigger Garda presence than last Sunday.

“We would like to see the area in front of the where the substitutes sit to be well stewarded so there is no chance of anyone other than authorised personnel having any access to the pitch.

“We have mentioned it to the Kerry County Board and they will represent us at county level, and let Croke Park know about our concerns. Some county board officials were there and saw what happened in Portlaoise so they are aware of the situation.”

However, the former All-Ireland SFC Club champions today issued a statement clarifying that they wanted to block book a section together, so that family and juvenile members could be sectioned in the one area.

“Regarding the forthcoming All Ireland Club Semi Final Dr. Crokes Club wish to clarify misinformation that appeared in the media this morning regarding that we have requested “segregation of supporters” at the forthcoming All Ireland Club Semi Final against Crossmaglen Rangers,” the statement read.

“What the club has requested is an allotment of tickets in a particular section of the stand where juvenile members and their families can sit together as many families had requested this after our Munster Final win.

“We’ve brought juvenile members to all our games this year and they have been together for the games. However we believe that there will be a large attendance at the game in Portloise and hence our reason for looking for an area where these can be accommodated together. All other interpretation of the clubs requests are a misinterpretation of the facts and the Club is in no way calling for segregation of supporters.”

The statement added: “We have also requested that there be adequate stewarding on the day, in particular on the area in front of where the subs are seated to avoid any potential repeat of last Sunday.”

It will be the second time for Dr Crokes and Crossmaglen Rangers to meet at the Portlaoise venue, with the All-Ireland SFC Final replay between the clubs in 2007 also taking place in O’Moore Park.

GAA President Christy Cooney says the Association’s disciplinary systems will deal with those who were involved in the violent scenes which marred last Sunday’s All-Ireland JFC semi-final between Derrytresk and Dromid Pearses.

Video footage of a mass brawl on the sideline just before half-time showed players and mentors from both sides clashing, with Derrytresk substitutes and supporters making their way onto the pitch to get involved.

Dromid midfielder Thomas Curran was left concussed and team-mate Denis ‘Shine’ O’Sullivan has a broken cheekbone as a result of the fracas in Portlaoise.

Dromid’s O’Sullivan, who had stud marks on his back, and Colm O’Connor were both sent-off in the second half.

It was also claimed that Kerry star Declan O’Sullivan was hit with a handbag at the end of the game.

Derrytresk went on to win the match on a 1-10 to 0-7 scoreline, but a war of words has since erupted while Croke Park officials await an official report from referee Francis Flynn and the gardaí say they are waiting to talk to ‘a number of people’ in connection with the incident.

Asked for his take on events in Portlaoise, GAA President Christy Cooney said: “You know what happened in the (Louth-Meath Leinster final in 2010). There were people that came onto the field and certain matters were taken up by the gardaí and went through due process.

“There were issues in Antrim last year and the Antrim County Board dealt with that very strongly. There were issues in Tyrone and the Tyrone County Board dealt with that very strongly.

“I’m sure there were a lot of people in Portlaoise who had no involvement in the situation and went there for the purpose of supporting their team and enjoying the game. People who have misbehaved have to be dealt with and the Central Competitions Control Committee will do that.”

A number of high profile GAA pundits and ex-players have passed comment on what occurred at O’Moore Park, but Meath GAA legend Colm O’Rourke played down the incident.

“When I heard about it first I thought this was a complete running brawl. From what I saw on television it was over quickly and I didn’t see to many people throwing punches at all,” he told radio station Newstalk.

“It did appear worse because spectators came in off the stand but to me, most of the people involved were peacemakers more than combatants. So I don’t have the moral outrage at this incident that seems to be prevalent.”

A war of words has erupted between the clubs involved however, with Dromid Pearses manager Michael Anthony O’Connell asking for Derrytresk to be thrown out of the All-Ireland Junior Championship.

“When our fellas went to shake hands with them, the Derrytresk (players) went for their testicles and pulled them at the start of the game. That conduct has no place on a football field. What they wanted was for our players to retaliate, but we are better than that,” O’Connell told the Irish Independent.

“Somebody has to put their foot down. What happened on Sunday has no place in the GAA, it was disgraceful. I don’t think I will ever go to a football game again if they are not thrown out. The GAA has to make a stand now.

“There were kids crying in the stand, frightened by what was going on. How do you expect kids to go to football games when this happens?”

For their part, Tyrone side Derrytresk have released a statement on the matter hitting out at the allegations made against their club and commending the match officials for their handling of what was a hard-fought game.

“It is disturbing to be on the receiving end of a number of quite serious allegations which have been aimed directly at our club since Sunday afternoon,” the statement read.

“We are disappointed that such allegations have been aired by GAA people through various media outlets over the last 24 hours.

“We believe that the referee and his officials were best placed to deal with all aspects of Sunday’s game. We remain confident that the GAA itself is best placed to provide the correct channels to deal with all matters which may or may not arise from this game.”

Defending champions Mayo wrapped up the group stages of the FBD League with a 0-14 to 1-9 victory over Roscommon in Ballinlough today.

With a place in the final already secured, Mayo showed their determination to keep on the winning trail with late points from Barry Moran and Alan Dillon sealing their latest triumph.

They had to survive a late scare however, as Roscommon’s Enda Kenny watched his injury-time shot clip a post and go wide.

Roscommon struggled in the first half, with Ger Heneghan landing their only points. Mayo were 0-7 to 0-2 to the good with Conor Mortimer (0-4) the pick of their forwards.

Early scores from Pat Harte, Alan Freeman and goalkeeper David Clarke, who converted a ‘45’, nudged James Horan’s men into a deserved lead.

Mortimer missed a goal-scoring chance when he fisted the ball onto the crossbar, and Roscommon were a different side in the second period.

John Rogers, Donie Shine and Kevin Higgins were to the fore as the Rossies mounted a comeback. Higgins ran down the right wing and cut in to score a well-taken goal with eight minutes remaining.

Rogers added another point to make it 0-12 to 1-8 and Shine converted a ‘45’ to square things up with just two-and-a-half minutes left. However, Mayo held their nerve and Moran and Dillon had the final say.

Galway finished their FBD League campaign with a 4-9 to 0-12 triumph over Sligo at Tuam Stadium. Michael Martin was in terrific form for the Tribesmen, hitting 2-3.

The returning Nicky Joyce stunned Sligo with a goal after just 40 seconds. Martin sent Galway into a 2-3 to 0-4 lead, drilling a terrific left-footed shot into the top right corner of the net with 19 minutes gone.

Joyce and Paul Conroy were involved in the move which teed up Martin’s second goal, seven minutes later. Into the second half, Adrian Marren led the Sligo charge with four points, however Galway signed off with another goal five minutes from time with youngster Mark Hehir notching it.

Elsewhere, NUIG, who will contest the final with Mayo, lost their final group game to IT Sligo (2-4 to 0-9) and Leitrim recorded a morale-boosting 1-11 to 0-7 victory over GMIT.

Paul Kerrigan tallied up 1-6 as Cork booked their place in the final of the McGrath Cup with a comfortable 2-17 to 0-7 dismissal of Cork IT this afternoon.

Cork were far too strong for the students and this Pairc Ui Rinn tussle had a one-sided look to it when the Rebels took a 1-11 to 0-1 lead into the break.

Jerry O’Connor scored CIT’s only point of the first half, 27 minutes in, and by that stage they were looking at a drubbing.

Kerrigan took on the CIT defence and sent a flicked shot to the net for a 13th minute goal. Fintan Goold had started the scoring with a point after just 10 seconds.

Kerrigan had 1-5 to his name before the interval and Conor Counihan’s men kept pressing for scores as substitutes Noel O’Leary, Paudie Kissane and Nicholas Murphy picked off second half scores.

Kissane cut through on a purposeful 50th minute run to hammer home their second goal. Hugh Curran and Rory O’Sullivan replied for CIT but there was no danger of the county side faltering.

The Clonmel Sportsground will be the venue for next Sunday’s final after Tipperary recorded a 1-15 to 0-10 semi-final victory over UCC there today.

Barry Grogan had a profitable afternoon for Tipp, scoring five first half points and also scoring the game’s only goal 20 minutes into the second period.

UCC were still in contention at the interval with the sides tied at 0-7 apiece. Only five of the 14 points came from play, emphasising the stop-start nature of the game.

Referee Maurice Condon was heavily involved in proceedings and UCC’s first half haul came from a succession of frees - four from Gavin O’Grady and three from midfielder Jamie O’Sullivan.

As well as Grogan, captain Philip Austin pointed for Tipp and Brian Fox fisted over also after an earlier miss.

There was little between the sides when the second half got underway. Despite the best efforts of O’Grady in particular, Tipp managed to pull away as the minutes ticked by.

Hugh Coghlan, Grogan and Conor Sweeney helped them push clear on the scoreboard and the clinching score arrived when Grogan finished to the net after Coghlan had played a high ball in.

The goal made it 1-13 to 0-9 to the hosts and they would have had a second goal soon after, had Austin’s shot not been cleared off the line.

Holders Kildare won through to face DCU in the O’Byrne Cup final after getting the better of an understrength Dublin side in Newbridge this afternoon.

Despite hitting a number of poor wides, the Lilywhites did enough to pull off a 1-11 to 0-8 win over the All-Ireland champions, with penalty scorer Ronan Sweeney scoring 1-1.

The hosts had to do it the hard way after wing back Eoghan O’Flaherty was sent-off in the 30th minute for his second bookable offence.

A total of 6,086 spectators turned out to watch their Leinster rivals go head-to-head, with early points from Alan Smith and Sweeney setting Kildare on their way.

Paddy Andrews weaved through for a fisted point for Dublin and a 27th minute free from Mossie Quinn brought the visitors level.

In a physical encounter full of robust challenges, O’Flaherty received his marching orders from referee Eddie Kinsella. However, two more points from Smith nosed Kildare ahead for the break at 0-5 to 0-4, with Quinn replying for Pat Gilroy’s side.

Into the second half, Hugh McGrillen came on to point from the right wing and increase the home lead. Dublin lacked firepower and Quinn was their top scorer, finishing with five placed balls including one from the sideline.

In the 47th minute referee Kinsella adjudged that Sean Murray had fouled Kildare full-forward Tomas O’Connor for a penalty. Midfielder Sweeney stepped up to convert the kick, firing low to the right of goalkeeper Michael Savage.

Scores from Conway, James Kavanagh and Fionn Dowling added some more cushion for Kildare, and Dublin’s hopes diminished further with the dismissal of Paul Brogan.

Bryan Cullen and Kevin McManamon provided some momentum for the Dubs in the closing stages, but the gap was too wide and Kieran McGeeney’s men marched on.

A goal in each half from Sligo’s David Kelly paved the way for a 2-8 to 0-6 DCU victory over Meath in the first of the O’Byrne Cup semi-finals last night.

Kelly’s first goal in the 15th minute was DCU’s opening score and gave the students a 1-0 to 0-2 lead in Navan.

Meath struggled to make use of their wind advantage in the opening half with DCU continuing to look dangerous.

Scores from Laois’s Colm Begley and Jack Brady of Cavan opened up a 1-2 to 0-2 lead after 19 minutes. Paddy Gilsenan and Kelly traded points as DCU led by 1-3 to 0-3 at half-time.

The Dublin college extended their lead to eight points within nine minutes of the restart, with Kelly netting his second goal which was bookended by points from Dublin’s Dean Rock.

Meath only managed three second half points, including a Gilsenan effort 16 minutes from the end, but DCU ultimately enjoyed a comfortable passage through to the final.