Violence and the GAA
by Dan O'Neill
As the movers and shakers of the National Football League jostled for
places in the knock-out stages, and others battled to avoid
relegation, it was disciplinary matters which stole the headlines in
Mondays papers.
Leading referee, Michael Curley was struck in the face by Wexford
boss JJ Barrett after he awarded a penalty to Cavan in the dying
minutes of the game which lost Wexford a place in Division 1 next
year. Two players, Cavan defender Terry Farrelly and Wexford's Pat
Forde, had been sent off minutes before.
Elsewhere, three were sent off in Cork's clash with the Dubs, while
Armagh forward John Rafferty was dismissed for a late challenge in
their victory over rivals Tyrone. Derry's Seamus Downey sustained a
fractured jaw after a high challenge in the game against Laois.
These latest incidents come only a week after the GAA's
Ard-Stiúrthóir, Liam Mulvihill, attacked the levels of indiscipline
in the game.
The media is quick to talk up a crisis regarding violence in the GAA.
I don't want to jump on the bandwagon.
Gaelic Football is a contact sport. At the top level, the stakes are
high and things will happen.
The truth is that most of the sending offs on any given weekend are
for playing hard aggressive football which most teams believe they
need in order to win at the top. However, incidents such as the
attack on an experienced referee at Breffni Park have no place in the
game. Nor does the attack on Seamus Downey, or the attack on Dermot
Ryan in the Westmeath v Wicklow game last month which left him with a
fractured cheekbone.
GAA chiefs have planned major disciplinary changes for next month's
Annual Congress.
While any discussion on new disciplinary procedures should be
welcome, talk of power being switched from the provinces to a central
authority and Croke Park or referees reports being submitted earlier
and so on, don't deal with the problems of discipline.
Referee's and linesmen are particularly guilty of `see no evil, hear
no evil'. It defies belief why the match officials can't pick up any
bad incidents on the field of play. How many pairs of eyes are
required to do this. How was the tackle on Downey not seen?
There is no doubt that better officiating at games is needed as many
match officials are obviously ill-equipped to make proper decisions
when foul play is going on. And while a referee could not have
prevented the attack on the referee at the weekend, incidents such as
Seamus Downey's must not go unpunished.
While I believe that the game should be played hard, it should also
be played fair - and players must be mindful of the limits of their
actions on the field.
After last weekends action, the quarter-final programme for the NFL
is as follows; Sligo v Cork or Armagh; Derry v Cork or Armagh; Meath
v Kerry; Dublin v Kildare.
Matches are due to be played on Sunday 11 April.
I got five out of six predictions right in the weekends National
Hurling League games - not bad. Only Tipperary let me down after
losing to an impressive and resurgent Kilkenny.
Kilkenny should make it two on the trot when they face Down this
weekend. Waterford will overcome Laois and I'll stick my neck out by
tipping Cork to beat Tipperary in Division 1B's other games.
In Division 1A, Limerick should end their slump with a victory over
Dublin, while I fancy Offaly to repeat the heroics of last years
All-Ireland semi by beating Clare in what will be a close contest.
There wasn't much action elsewhere on the sporting front. The NATO
attacks on Serbia, and the instability in the Balkans prevented the
Republic of Ireland team travelling to Macedonia for their European
qualifying game on Saturday last.
I had, however, the joy of watching the `Norn Iron' game against the
Germans at Windsor Park.
After a 3-0 defeat, the Six Counties have now little or no chance of
qualifying for next years championships. In fact, about as much
chance as there is of Windsor Park becoming a place where Catholic
families can go to watch a game of football in a ``spirit of
participation, celebration and toleration'', in the words of the
Sports Council cards handed out during the game.
The very few Catholics who attended the game had to sit through the
usual barrage of sectarian insults, and the singing of the Sash and
the Billy Boys. Afterwards we heard Steve Lomas and Lawrie McMenemy
pay tribute to their supporters for their ``magnificent'' efforts to
raise the team. Obviously nothing has changed up Windsor way!
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)