Blow it Up: The GAA’s Love/Hate Relationship With Their Own Rules
by Mark Cooper (Sport Editor)
It is All-Ireland final day in Croke Park. It may not be the third Sunday in September, or even the modern fixture at the height of summer, but it is All-Ireland final day nonetheless. The turf has been evidently cut to pieces by a saturated winter, an abundance of matches, and perhaps five too many Garth Brooks concerts. All that aside, on a Sunday in January Derry’s Glen and Dublin’s Crokes go to war before legions of their devoted fans in a bid to win the biggest club prize of all, the Andy Merrigan Cup. A cagey afternoon of football played out before the game reached its fateful conclusion. In the dying moments, with Kilmacud leading by two points, Glen’s Danny Tallon took a quick ’45 which eventually resulted in a shot on goal from distance going harmlessly wide. This last-gasp effort for three points may have been a forgettable and unremarkable conclusion to the game were it not for one crucial fact; Kilmacud Crokes had seventeen players on the pitch for the match’s finale, with sixteen players defending that innocuous ’45. Before the Crokes’ captain Shane Cunningham had even been presented with the cup on the steps of the Hogan Stand, GAA Twitter was firing on all cylinders, and the Monday headlines were already being written. Shane Walsh’s controversial transfer this season to Kilmacud may have fuelled the fire of public opinion, but it was Kilmacud’s sixteenth man who lit the spark.
After an uninspiring game of cat and mouse between the GAA’s Central Council and Glen, as well as submissions by the Crokes, it was eventually decreed that the final be replayed. At the time of writing, it is not yet clear if Kilmacud will hand back the cup, play the replay or launch into a series of appeals. Whatever the eventual outcome, the farcical nature of the proceedings brought back bad memories for almost anyone involved in Gaelic Games. Inconsistent and protracted application of its own rules has been an undeniable feature of the GAA’s administration since its foundation.
The Mysterious 1905 Hurling Final of 1907
The 1905 All-Ireland Hurling Final between Kilkenny and Cork (delayed due to difficulties in obtaining pitches and club-level backlogs) took place in Tipperary town in April 1905 in front of just over 5,000 spectators. The Rebels prevailed after a splendid encounter, on a scoreline of 5-10 to 3-13. Later that month, it emerged that Erin’s Own H.C (Kilkenny’s representatives in the final against St. Finbarr’s of Cork) had lodged an objection to the result, alleging that Daniel McCarthy was “in the service of the British government”, in his role as an Army Reserve for the British Army. The objection was grounded on Rule 6 of the GAA, introduced ten years previously to prevent spying on republicans within GAA clubs. The rule set out that “police, soldiers, sailors of the Royal Navy, militiamen, or pensioners of the constabulary, army or navy, shall not be allowed to play hurling or football”. Despite Tom Dooley of St. Finbarr’s argument that the rule made no mention of army reserves, the decision was made by the GAA president that the game would be replayed. In June 1907, the final was replayed with Kilkenny winning well. If this can be considered a first test of the GAA’s ability to apply its own rules, it did not bode well for the future.
Jimmy Cooney Cuts Long Hot Summer Short
Reigning All-Ireland champions Clare led by three points in the replayed All Ireland Semi-Final of 1998 against Offaly coming to the close of the game. Referee Jimmy Cooney made the farcical error of blowing the final whistle prematurely with two minutes of normal time still left on the clock. Faithful supporters staged a sitdown protest after the game in Croke Park. The very next day the GAA’s Games Administration Committee ordered a second replay, which The Faithful County won on their way to claiming the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Notably however, it was not truly the GAA exercising their authority, with The Clare County Board co-operating fully and graciously offering to replay the game. If the Banner administration had dug in their heels on the result, it is likely the result would have stood. Combine Clare co-operation with Offaly supporters’ demonstration and the GAA had an easy decision to make. This was not the last occasion where a decision would be made off the back of public pressure.
Newbridge of Nowhere
Following a disappointing league campaign in 2018 in which they were relegated to division two, Cian O’ Neill’s Kildare tenure looked to be coming to a premature close. Wins against Derry and Longford in the qualifiers went some way towards easing the pain of a humiliating Leinster Championship exit at the hands of Carlow, but the atmosphere amongst Lilly White supporters was not exactly jovial. The only saving grace was that as first out in the draw, the Leinster side had home advantage, or at least they should have. With Croke Park citing policing and crowd control around Newbridge with the Irish Derby being held in the Curragh on the same day, they unilaterally moved the match to Croke Park. Ticket sales were opened for the double header in Dublin, with a GAA official quoted in the Irish Times as stating that “the game has been fixed for 7pm in Croke Park, and that is not going to change under any circumstances”. Cian O’ Neill and Kildare had other ideas, and in an RTÉ interview, the manager maintained that “On Saturday night…we’ll be in St. Conleth’s Park”. Ultimately the GAA were swayed by public pressure and ultimately agreed to an all-ticket game in Newbridge with additional policing presence, with Kildare springing a shock to knock Mayo out of the championship.
Diarmuid Connolly’s Magic Hat-Trick of Appeals
Having been issued a red card by referee Maurice Deegan for striking Colm Boyle in the 2015 All Ireland Semi-Final, a one match ban was issued to Diarmuid Connolly. With the Mayo game ending in a draw, a replay was to be played and both the player involved and Dublin were anxious to have one of their star players involved. A first appeal to the Central Hearings Committee was unsuccessful, as was a second appeal to the GAA’s Central Appeals Committee. When that verdict came down, it was widely believed that Connolly would miss the replayed semi-final and the drama would come to a close. However, the St. Vincent’s clubman pleaded his case to the independent Disputes Resolution Authority, chaired by former Supreme Court justice Hugh O’Flaherty. The appeal was successful on grounds that Connolly’s rights to fair procedure was breached, and he was cleared to play in the replay. The series of appeals illustrate the failings within the modern system of justice and oversight offered by the GAA in cases of disciplinary proceedings.
The lack of sound, reputable institutions within the organisation to handle such matters places the finality of a referee’s decision firmly in the spotlight. Former Cork hurler Diarmuid ‘The Rock’ O’ Sullivan described the decision as “Setting a precedent.” for the GAA appeals process, and his sentiment was echoed by much of the nation. The general message sent was that with enough resources, there are ways to circumnavigate the rules of the game and the organisation.
Louth’s Leinster Hopes Thrown Away by Joe Sheridan
With Louth leading 1-10 to 0-12 points in the last minute of the 2010 Leinster Senior Football Final, Meath had a free and kicked it deep into the opposition half only to have it cleared away. Meath won the ball back and kicked at goal but the shot was blocked and Joe Sheridan came across and fell over the goal line, effectively throwing the ball into the net. Aaron Hoey of Louth pleaded with Martin Sludden to consult both umpires, yet the referee consulted only one umpire, before the green flag was waved once again. In effect, the goal handed Meath the title, but the drama had not subsided. With an air of injustice, Louth fans began aggressively protesting the result, invading the pitch and attempting to confront Sludden after the final whistle. A steward was also injured by enraged spectators after being hit by a bottle. The Meath county board did not offer a replay as Clare had done in 1998, and as a result the GAA’s rules could not provide a solution. An amendment to the rules of the game since has allowed the game to be replayed at the discretion of the GAA themselves.
Back to the Future
As GAA people, all we want is to see the rules of the game applied consistently, with clarity and equality. For far too long, the GAA has failed in its duty to make strong decisions in the interests of the game. As seen with the recent Kilmacud v Glen soap opera, even when regulations exist which the GAA can use to solve issues (Rule 6.44 (ii)), the administration have been reluctant to make tough choices of their own accord. Change has to come in the form of stronger decision making and clearer regulations, and that change must come fast. If not, it won’t be long before players, managers and supporters begin to question what there is to play for.
