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A still from footage of Sunday's violence in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise. Youtube Screengrab

Fight fall-out continues as Dromid manager calls for Derrytresk ban

Michael Anthony O’Connell has called for Derrytresk to be stripped of their place in the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final following Sunday’s violence in Portlaoise.

THE MANAGER OF Kerry club Dromid Pearses has vowed never to go another GAA match unless officials take decisive action to punish Sunday’s brawl in Portlaoise.

Michael Anthony O’Connell called last night for Derrytresk of Tyrone to be thrown out of the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship after video footage of the punch-up in O’Moore Park surfaced yesterday.

Chaos erupted shortly before half-time in the championship semi-final when a number of spectators wearing Derrytresk club tracksuits, believed to be substitutes and supporters, jumped onto the pitch and waded into a fight between players.

Dromid midfielder Thomas Curran was left concussed and had to leave the game while Denis “Shine” O’Sullivan had a cheekbone fractured. Star Kerry forward Declan O’Sullivan was also reportedly struck by a handbag.

When the game finally resumed, Derrytresk went on to claim a 1-10 to 0-07 victory, sealing their spot in next month’s final.

The GAA said yesterday that they are waiting to receive the referee’s report before deciding what action to take, if any.

But an official fixture list appeared to confirm that Derrytresk will meet St Patrick’s, Clonbur in Croke Park on 12 February, despite Dromid’s calls for the Tyrone side to be stripped of their place in the competition.

“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,” O’Connell told this morning’s Irish Independent.

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?

Derrytresk broke their silence on Sunday’s violence last night, expressing disappointment that the fall-out from the row had been played out through the media.

“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 yesterday afternoon,” a statement released to GAA website TeamTalkMag said. “We believe that the referee and his officials were best placed to deal with all aspects of Sunday’s game.”

Derrytresk will make no further comment on the incident.

The statement in full read (via TeamTalkMag):

The Derrytresk club are delighted to have made it through to this year’s All Ireland Junior Football Championship club final. Our players thoroughly deserve to be there after all of the hard work that they put in over the last twelve months.

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 yesterday afternoon. 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.

We therefore we will be making no further comment on the matter and will continue to prepare for the biggest day in our club history.

Kerry club Dromid Pearses call for GAA to examine brawl footage

Vodafone drop Dublin sponsorship for charity

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44 Comments
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    Mute Ted Power
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    Jan 24th 2012, 11:44 AM

    Tyrone scumbags nothin new there

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 24th 2012, 11:55 AM

    IF its proven that the subs and spectators behaved as what is reported then the club should be banned from all competitions. Might be harsh but it will lay down a marker. Violence of this type is creeping into the GAA and unless dealt with it will grow like a cancer.

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    Mute Peter 66
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:09 PM

    Harsh ? I do not think so. They should be disbanded before they destroy GAA as a spectator sport. I for one will not be going to any games until appropriate action is taken… Sport my arse.

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    Mute Paulie walnuts
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    Jan 24th 2012, 11:36 AM

    An absolute disgrace to the game!!! Both sides should be seriously reprimanded!!! Do your job GAA!!

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    Mute micktwatter
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    Jan 24th 2012, 11:57 AM

    Both sides? Did you watch the video? Tyrone scumbags at it against. Just look up club football and fights and the same area comes up again and again.

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    Mute Rory Gibbons
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:03 PM

    What’s most outrageous is the fact that the Tyrone club have not condoned their own behaviour. All reports and video footage seem to point the finger of blame squarely at them. This type of behaviour simply isn’t acceptable anymore, not should it have ever been. Jumping the fence in particular is akin to malicious assault without provocation .

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    Mute Eamonom
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    Jan 24th 2012, 1:40 PM

    You mean condemn rather than condone, surely?

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    Mute David Walsh
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:04 PM

    I’ve watched this video a few times on youtube and the guy with the grey hoddie who jumps over the pitch wall has a lot to answer, there where a lot of mams, dads and kids there terrified who only went too see a game of ball, this could have got out of hand very easy
    The GAA have to come down hard on these clubs and players.

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    Mute william winkell
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:45 PM

    The guys that jumped the fence were the cowards that kicked this one off. Nordies need to vent their anger during sports since the peace process took the police and army off the menu.

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    Mute micktwatter
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    Jan 24th 2012, 1:03 PM

    If that chump that jumped the fence was of any worth to the team, he’d be playing.
    Inbred moron

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    Mute Kevin Byrne
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    Jan 24th 2012, 1:21 PM

    Were players/subs from Clonaslee in Laois suspended for 1-2 years for something similar after a IHC final a few years back? If so, there has to be consistency… Derrytresk could have no complaints if some of their thugs, sorry subs, got similar bans!! Thuggery like that has no place in the GAA (or cowardly punches like their no.11 threw and then ran off)

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    Mute Paul Morrissey
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:08 PM

    Why are people so surprised when this happens at a gaa match? It happens most weekends of the year.

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    Mute Rob
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    Jan 24th 2012, 1:43 PM

    really hate to be oversimplifying this again but its just so easy to fix!

    anyone not included in the 30 on the pitch who got involved in this in any way should be banned for a year from all competitions. Anyone who jumped the fence to get involved should be banned for 2 years. Anyone who has no involvement with either squad who got involved should receive a lifetime ban!

    the Derrytresk response is so irresponsible that purely for that they should receive sanction!

    the players should be assessed according to normal rules of the game and should receive santion depending on the extent of their foul play.

    there can be no cap on the amount of sanctions and bans handed out!

    18
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    Mute Rob
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:57 PM

    also having watched the video a couple of times now – i’d have sent off the poor little concussed Dromid half back! he was anything but a peacemaker rowing into that!

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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:38 PM

    Between attacking refs mass brawl and allowing on field fighting the gaa and their following really needs to take a good look at its self. Horrible horrible people

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    Mute Kieran Foley
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:36 PM

    And the award for sweeping generalisation of the year goes to …?

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    Mute Diarmaid Twomey
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:08 PM

    Surprise surprise, nordy team in physical bust up! Watch any ulster club or county game and you realise after about 5 minutes, they play and spectate the game with a different set rules and ethics altogether. Before their coach comes out crying poor mouth perhaps he and those involved in ulster gaa should address the fact why matches involving their teams have a disproportionate amount of violence in them.

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    Mute Fiachra KME
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:47 PM

    Very sweeping statement about Ulster Teams however Tyrone, both club and county have a reputation for this.

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    Mute Diarmaid Twomey
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:58 PM

    Fiachra, sweeping but true I am afraid!

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    Mute Niamh McGaley
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:05 PM

    This would not be condoned if it happened on any street on the island of Ireland, so why is acceptible on a sports field? How many young children were there, looking up to their local sports heroes, seeing this behaviour and learning that this is acceptable during sports? Are we going to start seeing this behaviour at our U10 matches now?
    It is a joke how teams from Tyrone (clubs and county) always play the victim card in these kinds of scenarios. This isn’t the first time a Tyrone team has behaved like this, and the GAA need to make an example.

    This behaviour is not acceptable

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    Mute emmomac
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    Jan 24th 2012, 4:49 PM

    Another day, another embarrassing collection of cheap digs at GAA from people who don’t play the game. First of all, GAA games happen without incident en mass all over the country every weekend. These incidents are few and far between when you look at the number of games played in this country. Secondly, the rugby/ soccer crowd taking the moral high ground as if their sport of choice is in any way better or worse is laughable with the one exception being the attitude in rugby shown to refs. All sports could learn from this. As regards dirty play or thuggery, all games are equal in that respect as all games are played by a cross section of society. There are thugs in every society. Where rugby fans let themselves down is in assuming that the general nature of the person is somehow superior in rugby. At least the GAA has no old time hangovers in this regard.

    re: this incident

    It is obvious that Derrytresk broke more rules/ were less moral in their actions and should be treated accordingly but the digs at the north in general are nasty and are not what the GAA is about so please refrain. There are brawls in all sports in all counties. Stop being sectarian about this. Also need to remember that the video doesn’t show everything and I am sure there are a few kerrymen who didn’t cover themselves in glory either.

    I think GAA should allow Derrytresk to advance but they should also dish out the bans thus weakening them for the final.

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    Mute Rob
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    Jan 24th 2012, 5:18 PM

    a) you don’t need to play the game to pass comment

    b) we don’t hand out medals for having games that don’t result in brawls

    c) agree there have been too many cheap shots at northern teams

    d) all games are probably equal as regards the amount of thugs who play – but not in their tolerance of thuggish behavour on the pitch!

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    Mute emmomac
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    Jan 24th 2012, 5:34 PM

    won’t someone think of the children!

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    Mute Pilib O Muiregan
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    Jan 24th 2012, 1:49 PM

    Im sickened by the anti Tyrone and anti GAA comments here. Its an awful incident and those supporters who jumped in should get lifetime bans from the assiocation. This problem is not confined to Tyrone or northern GAA teams it happens all over. As for the anti GAA comments are fucking laughable proberly coming from people who think supporting a team means watching match of the day in their Liverpool top who more than likely has never been in Liverpool never mind have a connection to the city ha

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    Mute Rob
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    Jan 24th 2012, 1:56 PM

    agreed with you until i read the Derrytresk statement. no excuse for that!! they’re looking back in the cold light of day and saying they don’t think they need to take action on this!

    horrifically bad decision and i hope they pay for it!

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 24th 2012, 3:17 PM

    While some comments are generalizing Tyrone teams as thugs I can’t see the anti GAA comments. What happened was a disgrace. If the club can’t see that or agree with that then sorry they have no place in the GAA.

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    Mute Eddie Mc Govern
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    Jan 25th 2012, 11:30 AM

    As an Ulster Man i have to say unfortunately tyrone have a reputation for this ..Derrytresk should be banned

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    Mute Egg Bagged
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    Jan 25th 2012, 11:43 AM

    obviously not from Tyrone Eddie… Whatever county you are from I will probably be able to give you a list of melees that have occurred by teams in your county as Probably for every county in Ireland…..yet no teams seemed to be banned…I dont think Derrytresk , a small club of a few hundred people deserve to be made the scapegoat on this occasion…the fence jumpers defo need to be banned as what happens on the pitch between the players in such a big game should be between the players who have trained and fought to get there…not for the fence jumpers!

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    Mute Mike Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:38 PM

    Make your own mind up –
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kEJswEqkEg

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    Mute Mike Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2012, 12:44 PM

    By the way Dromid are in Maroon …………..

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 24th 2012, 1:39 PM

    Decided to watch it not knowing what teams wore what jerseys. The blue and white team should be gone. Simple as. While the fight started between two players the subs who jumped in should get a years ban. If supports jumped in the club should have an option. Name the supports(and life time bans) or club gone from all competitions for a year.

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    Mute John Thomas
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    Jan 25th 2012, 12:06 AM

    someone was hit by a handbag apparently. whats the game coming to. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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    Mute Oskar Fritsche
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    Jan 24th 2012, 7:32 PM

    And the head of the CCC is a Tyrone man HMMMMMM what will happen here

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    Mute Barry Hughes
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:50 PM

    Time to put an end to this bogball nonsense. Disgraceful and embarassing scenes of thuggery that are repeated again and again in this “sport”- sport my eye!!!!

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    Mute Diarmaid Twomey
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    Jan 24th 2012, 2:57 PM

    Oh as opposed to “soccer” where stabbings and gang violence is ever occuring, where people are crushed in stands because of violence, where diving / cheating is encouraged, where players are more worried about their salaries and “feelings” than the sport they claim to love. Give me a break! The sign of a true sport is one where players participate for the love of it and not for the cash!

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    Mute DubInNaas
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    Jan 24th 2012, 3:33 PM

    Diarmuid,
    You aren’t addressing the valid point Barry makes.

    All the comments above are focussed on the symptoms not the problem itself.
    The tolerance for anti-sportsmanlike behaviour in the GAA is wrong.
    It happens from the day a child of 5 walks onto a pitch and is encouraged by both parents and coaches.

    Look to rugby as an example of a game where thuggish behaviour is very infrequent, and is dealt with very severely when it does happen.

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    Mute Colm Mooney
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    Jan 25th 2012, 5:11 AM

    diarmuid..I hope you are not referring to the Hillsborough tragedy when you say “crushed in stands because of violence” as that was most definately not the case. as for the substantive issue..Tyrone GAA has a reputatiin for this..but this is a problem in other counties too..wicklow for example

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    Mute Eddie Mc Govern
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    Jan 25th 2012, 12:40 PM

    So derrytresk are a scapegoat now ..nothing has happened to them yet ..they probably won the game via intimidation ..it is a real irish thing when someone is called to account to make them the victim ….the team , subs and supporters need to be held responsible for their actions ..very few incidents as bad as this happen in matches and if they do people should be punished ..

    I have been in Clones and totally obnoxious behaviour from Tyrone supporters ..winning without class .. , seen them celebrate the bowsiness of ryan mc menamin , the keeper and mc menamin doing the gooch off the ball in all ireland finals ….success for thugish tactics and behaviour is a bad thing in my book

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    Mute colm
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    Jan 24th 2012, 7:18 PM

    what footage is available is a synopsis of what happened. there’s not enough in it to suggest that derrytresk should be thrown out of the gaa or be made a scapegoat for the violence displayed at so many club games in all four provinces. this is not an ulster-centric issue as some people have posited.

    there are clearly infringements of the rules from both parties. however what is evident from the footage is that there is a significant number of derrytresk players who jump from the stands. this has no place in the gaelic games and clearly anyone who does it doesn’t love their sport. what’s even scarier than this is that the club has, by it’s statement of, “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” essentially failed to recognise that it’s wrong for it’s supporters/members to jump over barriers and attack players on the pitch. it is clear that this has happened. the club statement has failed to condemn this and in doing so shown that it appears to be incapable of showing any decent values that a club should be built upon. i would go as far as saying that the club statement provides the loudest piece of evidence against itself and would almost convince me to throw them out of competitions on that basis.

    if the statement had come out saying that the club would explore evidence and take the necessary steps internally according to its own principles and policies, you could say that those who are in charge of the club are capable of managing it but this statement has failed the club, failed its young players, failed its parish and community.

    i’m sure there is more to come in the next few days and weeks but the board of derrytresk have been apalling.

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    Mute Oskar Fritsche
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    Jan 24th 2012, 7:31 PM

    Can’t believe Colm O’Rourke’s comment on radio this morning useless piece of Meath trash.

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    Mute emmomac
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    Jan 24th 2012, 9:44 PM

    what did he say?

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    Mute Frank2521
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    Jan 24th 2012, 5:24 PM

    Parents who bring their kids to thes matches shouldn’t have children as it is too common and there is a risk of it happeninłg at any time so why risk your children. Very irresponsible.

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    Mute Tom McDermott
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    Jan 24th 2012, 6:03 PM

    Dead right frank, should leave them locked up in their rooms forever with their xbox.

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    Mute Egg Bagged
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    Jan 25th 2012, 11:00 AM

    The Scuffle was wrong , uncalled for and over the top…… a bit like the Rogby head comments above who are spouting the holier than thou approach about the Bog ball players and the more Sectarian ” them Doirty Northerners coming down here stealing our jobs and women…etc”….. wise up….watch the video and you will definately see quite a few maroon jerseys wading in throwing haymakers…to picture this a one sided sounds just like a Kerry conspirousy to get Derrytresk ejected form the competition…These things happen in sprot up and down the country in ALL sport….you tube ireland rugby fights…you’ll get quite a few hits…same with soccer….It was an important game where tensions are high and all the players were there to give their all…a powderkeg moment which exploded unfortunately….Dont make it out to be a Northerners thing…as a man who played football in Dublin and Louth I have been involved in many such meelees and I didnt hear the..Them Southerners are Tramps..mentioned once….Just ban the people who jumped the fence…which is totally wrong and unjustifed and let Derrytresk get on with the final in peace

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