Supporter at centre of after match row was suspended by Offaly GAA last year as Kilcormac-Killoughey reword brief statement

Supporter at centre of after match row was suspended by Offaly GAA last year as K-K reword brief statement

Kevin Corrigan

THE supporter at the centre of the ugly incidents at the end of the Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship clash between Ballyhale Shamrocks and Kilcormac-Killoughey had been suspended by the Offaly GAA County Board last year for an incident at a club game.

The individual had been banned for 24 weeks in September 2024 as a result of an incident at a junior hurling fixture involving Kilcormac-Killoughey where he had been a linesman.

There were extraordinary scenes at the end of K-K's defeat by Ballyhale Shamrocks when a brief melee erupted between players but order was just being restored when the Kilcormac-Killoughey supporter arrived down out of the stand and swung a fist at Ballyhale star Adrian Mullen. He was pulled away by K-K players but then grabbed a hurl and had to be restrained by K-K full back Jordan Quinn.

The player in question is a very well known Kilcormac-Killoughey and Offaly hurling and football supporter, In his 40s, he has travelled far and wide supporting Offaly teams but has come to the attention of GAA authorities before, who will now be under pressure to impose a heavy suspension and ban from attending games.

Meanwhile Kilcormac-Killoughey released a brief statement on the game on Sunday evening and reworded it quickly after a growing adverse reaction in the GAA world. The first part of their statement was fine as it described the defeat as the “end of a journey” for the team this year, noting that they won three county titles in a row, their seventh since 2012. It described this as “some feat which not many teams achieve”.

It then makes a brief reference to the after match incidents, stating initially: “As a club, we do not condone the behaviour that was seen today by both sides”.

In fairness to the club, that was not intended as a justification of the incident with their supporter but it did not go down well at all with the wider GAA public as it didn't address the core issue as well as pointing the finger at Ballyhale Shamrocks and it was soon reworded to: “As a club, we do not condone the behaviour that was seen today”.

They possibly could have went further but that amendment was better than the original and K-K also know the individual involved well and would be very aware of his genuine passion and love of gaelic games and his club and county.

Unfortunately, the line has been crossed on this occasion by a considerable distance, the individual was arrested by gardai after the game and they have confirmed he has been charged and will appear in court.

There has been widespread footage of the incidents circulating on Sunday evening of both the incident and the man being arrested himself.

A provocative image of the individual had also circulated on social media in the days leading up to the game, suggesting that he could get arrested on Sunday – intended to be humorous, it was nothing of the sort and in the light of what happened, it looks very misguided, unhelpful and questionable.

Both managers spoke about the incident after the game with K-K manager, Declan Laffan saying:
“Ah, look, there was no call for it. It was coming up towards the end, I don't know what really... I know the tackle obviously instigated it, but probably a lot of frustration and somebody came in out of the crowd and nobody wants to see that. Whatever happens on the field, whether players are going out or whatever, leave them at it and let that be it and it'll finish, it'll play itself out. But look, I suppose frustration is a bit over, but unfortunately we can't control everybody.”

The Tipperary man acknowledged that there is likely to be an investigation into the incidents.

“Yeah, more than likely. Look, I suppose anything comes out of the crowd and hits another player, it's not a good look. But the one thing I'd say, for KK's point of view, that's not them as a club. And it's about the same for Ballyhale, nobody takes any kind of solace in what went on there. And it's not a true representation of both clubs and unfortunately it just happened and we have to move on.”

Ballyhale Shamrocks manager Henry Shefflin waa firstly disappointed that his players got sucked into the after match melee with K-K:

“I've said it on TG4. I'm very disappointed that we were involved in it, to be fair, because we pride ourselves a lot. And I'm sure Kilcormac Killoughey feel the exact same way. It was unsavoury. We absolutely don't condone it. And I said, I'm disappointed we were involved in such a situation because the match was over. We didn't need to. So I'm disappointed in the scene, to be fair, to get dragged into something like that.

That's the emotion I have here, which is not right, because I said I knew coming into this game we were going to be up against it and I was very wary of it.”

He then spoke about the supporter coming in and going for his players.

“As I said, I haven't seen it. But it's not right because I see my own kids and stuff and they're running down towards them. I'm like, what is going on here? It's out of control and there's no place for it whatsoever in the game.

“So look, we all agree on that.

“I think they're a fabulous hurling team and we like to play hurling the right way as well. So it's disappointing that that's what we’re going to be talking about.

“Our lads didn't need to be in any way involved. I suppose it's easier said when you're a small bit removed on the sideline than when you're the players and stuff.”

Laffan talked about the game and K-K missing chances in the first half.

“I think our wides were poor wides versus a lot of theirs. Our wides were, I won't say free shots, but I probably felt we should have been maybe another four or five up at half time and really put them under the cosh. But when we went in only maybe three and then they got control, we kind of lost our... We ran out of steam a little bit because we had put in such huge effort in the first half.
“And then, I suppose, I thought there was a couple of dubious calls at bad times and I don't want to be trying to refer to both because it's more what people have said to me. Then look, we'll all argue our case on different calls and I'm sure they argued for theirs. But there was a couple I think, the one with the handpass when Charlie's heading for goal I think is the very obvious one and I'm sure it's probably slowed down in the telly five times and we're trying to see. But there was the equivalent handpass about two minutes earlier at the far side of the field with Evan Shefflin and it looked more of a throw and it was let go. They go down the field to get a score off to three. So instead of maybe heading for goal and I think we were three down at the time and I was cutting back to two or it could have been a goal, they go down and get a point. So it's back out to four all of a sudden and probably the game died out there. And it probably looked like you needed a goal at that stage as well. But look, there was the other one, you might have a better view, the one that landed inside near the goals. Our man says he wasn't in the square and he gave a free out for a square ball like he won the ball. And the man was up on his back.

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 “None of you are disagreeing with what I'm saying. but look, the bottom line is some days you get them, some days you don't. And I suppose if you come down here and win you need to be getting them calls. And unfortunately they didn't fall for us today. But look, the boys will go away and take the winter off and come back and try and go at it stronger because I know they have huge ambitions.”

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