GAA authorities must deal with errant Kilcormac-Killoughey supporter

KILCORMAC-Killoughey GAA Club and the Offaly GAA County Board will certainly not be able to “plead ignorance” if asked to identify the supporter that came on to the field at the end of Sunday's Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny.

The K-K supporter could be clearly seen swinging a fist at Ballyhale Shamrocks' star Adrian Mullen after the final whistle had went in Ballyhale's 0-25 to 1-18 win and he will have to be dealt with by his own club and county as well as Leinster GAA authorities.

It is understood that gardai spoke to the supporter and Adrian Mullen after the match and it remains to be seen if there is any repercussions in this sphere. If there is, they will have to run its course but the GAA authorities will also have to take action and must be seen to act now – particularly in Offaly where the supporter is well known and has come to the attention of the disciplinary body and officials in the past.

It is a shame that such an incident should happen at the end of such an exciting game. There had been a couple of brief eruptions before the final whistle and the players were also engaging pleasantries in front of the old stand just after full time when the supporter made his way down out of the seats and made a bee-line for the action.

His intent looked fairly clear – Mullen had shouldered a K-K player in the melee but it was completely harmless and the supporter arrived seconds later, swinging his fist at the Kilkenny player. That is across the pale by any standards and there is an onus on GAA authorities to deal with it now.

A long suspension and ban from games will have to be considered and that is a great shame for the supporter in question. He is very well known in Offaly GAA circles, a passionate supporter with a great enthusiasm for Offaly football and hurling and his club, Kilcormac-Killoughey. He is a likeable, sociable character who lives for the GAA in some ways and loves attending games – he follows Offaly teams all over the country.

He wears his heart on his sleeve and is popular with the Kilcormac-Killoughey players, frequenting the same Tullamore coffee shop as some of them and engaging in friendly easy going banter when he runs into them on a Saturday morning. They enjoy him and he has obvious affection and admiration for them but sadly, he has crossed the line on this occasion and no one in the GAA community can stand over the scenes that occurred at the end of this game.

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The scenes were ironic as a post had been circulated on social media earlier in the the week about the supporter in question and what might happen on Sunday. It was intended as humorous but was very misguided and unhelpful and looks very silly now – full marks to the K-K players who quickly dealt with the incident on Sunday and pulled him away from the Ballyhale players, ensuring things didn't escalate.