John Costello blasts media reaction to Dublin senior footballers' training breach
Writing in his annual report, Dublin GAA CEO John Costello has said that the media reaction to the county senior footballers' training breach was over the top: "The tone, at times, was one of 'these lads should be arraigned for treason'..."
Monday 6 December 2021 15:25, UK
Dublin GAA chief John Costello has hit out at the reaction to the county senior football team's training breach earlier this year.
The then-All-Ireland champions were one of a number of counties to have been found to be training at a point in the year when it went against the government's Covid-19 guidelines.
Manager Dessie Farrell was handed a 12-week suspension by the county board as a result, meaning he was absent for the Sky Blues' National League campaign. The Down, Cork and Monaghan managers were also handed bans for similar incidents.
Writing in his report ahead of Dublin GAA's annual convention next Monday, county board CEO Costello said the reaction to the training ban breach went over the top.
"One thing that is worth mentioning on reflection was the level, intensity and tone of some of the media commentary - and this, most certainly, is not any attempt to defend the indefensible," he said.
"The tone, at times, was one of 'these lads should be arraigned for treason' and that they were guilty of burgling the bank of youth from the young citizens of the country.
"For almost two weeks, some media organisations turned over every stone to see if they could squeeze yet more mileage out of the story.
"Was the same attitude applied to other teams who were also in breach? Or to a team from a different sporting code who broke restrictions to go outside the jurisdiction for social events?
"And that's before even mentioning any political 'socials'.
"Most certainly not.
"Then the following doozy of a headline was brought to my attention: 'Most of us don't have a garden big enough for 50 guests - but who hasn't fallen off lockdown wagon like Nathan Carter?'
"Certainly, we live in very interesting times!"
The tone, at times, was one of 'these lads should be arraigned for treason'.
Farrell's charges shared the National League title with Kerry in 2021, before defending their Leinster crown. However, they fell short in their bid for a seventh consecutive All-Ireland triumph, with an extra-time defeat to Mayo at the semi-final stage.
