Mullane celebrates with Eoin Kelly (left) at the final whistle. Credit: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
WATERFORD HURLER JOHN Mullane has revealed that over-elaborate celebrations at the end of their narrow win over Clare on Sunday were motivated by comments he believed were made by Davy Fitzgerald but added that it was “the wasn’t the right thing to do at that time”.
The Déise won out 2-17 to 1-18 in the Munster SHC semi-final at Semple Stadium and when the final whistle went, the forward ran over to his former manager and slid in front of him and a number of the Clare backroom staff.
And last night, the 31-year-old, who returned to the senior panel in March having missed the start of the Allianz National Hurling League campaign, told Marty Morrissey on RTE’s Championship Matters that he had been riled by alleged remarks drom Fitzgerald.
“I had my reasons for it and Davy is aware of them but hopefully we can just put it to the side now and move on,” Mullane said.
“”It was a great win overall. We were written off all week. It was overshadowed by the celebrations. We’ll have a good look at Cork and Tipperary the weekend and see what that brings to the table.
I’m not going to get into,” he said when asked for the reasons. “There were comments passed to another player’s father and I didn’t take to them kindly.”
When Morrissey enquired whether Mullane had been told before the game that Fitzgerald had said he was “finished”, he responded:
“It more or less along them lines. I don’t want to get into the ins and outs of who said what but we had it out in the dressing room after the game and Davy said he didn’t say it, so that’s what we’re led to believe.
“It did drive me on all week and the fact that we were written off by so many people too. I wear my heart on my sleeve and it takes a small thing to set it off with me and I’d like to think I proved a point on Sunday.”
While he has no problem with the manner of Mullane’s celebrations, Fitzgerald himself has said that reports that he made such comments are untrue. And Mullane admitted that he does regret the outburst.
“I have regrets because my own character was knocked from different people. Going back to the old days, people felt I was after maturing, and I regret that for my own stance.”
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