Craig Dias has praised the GAA for showing racism the red card.

The former Dublin All-Ireland winner has revealed how he has only faced discrimination twice on a GAA field, and how he handled both situations differently. 

“I’ve rarely got abuse, I can count it one hand what I’ve got on and off the field," he told the Irish Independent ahead of Kilmacud Crokes' Leinster club SFC final showdown with Mullinalaghta tomorrow.

"[The first time it happened] I was kicking myself not just for myself but kids growing up, [with] globalisation, free trade and travel, there are going to be mixed-race children playing, minorities. I felt I isolated myself.

"The support was handed to me by Dublin county board, John Costello phoned me to see what I wanted and we said, 'no, we'll just handle it ourselves.' It wasn't the right move. 

“So the second time it happened I went through the right course of action. The mechanism and support from the club, from the county board and team-mates amazed me. We were called back a number of times for hearings...they were there with me, backing me.

"I wanted to see what the actual support system was in place if it ever happened again. So the second time it happened I went through the right course of action".

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