I'm from Wicklow, a county that seems to be synonymous with violent incidents at club games. While I doubt these incidents are any more prevalent here than in other counties, there's no question that it's a big problem. Every year when something happens there's the usual chatter in club dressing rooms, local newspapers and online. "It's a disgrace", "Something has to be done", "The County Board have to act". Inevitably there's a load of bluster and things soon settle down...until the next time.

My point is that people are quick to blame county boards (who obviously have a role) but what I've never seen or heard is clubs enforcing disciplinary measures themselves against their own members. GAA people are quick to trot out the clichés about 'community', 'local pride' etc- surely this should also include ensuring club members and supporters who've let down their clubs through inappropriate behaviour i.e. violence not be allowed participate?

In Wicklow, and I'm confident it's the same everywhere; all clubs have problems with violence. However, there seems to be a small number of clubs who consistently seem to be embroiled in these events. What are they doing to address this? In my experience absolutely nothing. In my completely biased opinion I believe my own club has a good record in this regard and I'd like to think that if a member committed some extreme act of violence e.g. striking an official etc. that they'd be banned. Whether that's the case is another matter. Recently a club in Wicklow voted for their players of the season. I noted that one of the players selected was responsible for a scandalous, what I would consider criminal act of violence at a match here a number of years ago. My own opinion would be that the person in question should've received a life-time ban. Frankly it disgusted me that this person was still playing the game and indeed being lauded by their community.

I guess my point is there appears to be very little leadership from GAA clubs in this area. Clubs seem happy to abdicate all responsibility to county boards and lame disciplinary committees. Not only that, they then go out of their way to wriggle out of punishments and obstruct these same authorities.
I'm sure people reading this will consider me naïve- maybe you're right. After all, GAA clubs are only mirrors of the communities they represent-it's human nature to want to support your own despite their actions and sanitise violent acts. I suppose it's taboo. It's gets very tiresome though hearing people complain about these events every year while at the same time utterly refusing to do anything about it.

stanley (None) - Posts: 434 - 23/12/2015 11:16:16    1814022

Good points, all. However, (justified or not) Wicklow has a worse reputation for GAA match violence than most counties. Why is that?

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 23/12/2015 18:56:03    1814100

The most important point you raise is what are the clubs doing about it? It is always left up to the county board or it seems it is always someone else's responsibility. I mean what would your clubs response be if one of the clubs team had 3/4 players sent off and a match abandoned? If the response is as I suspect then there can be no argument - not if clubs, players, coaches etc condone it.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 02/01/2016 15:33:38    1814143

Fairplay to original poster , I commented some time ago about Wicklow in particular and asked the question was there an above average level of violence or was their some media driven campaign going on in Wicklow ? No one commented . The original post certainly answers my question . As for an answer well leadership comes from the top as long as county boards put heads in the sands bad practice is allowed to flourish at club level , the clubs if blinded mismanaged and incapable of changing must be brought to task by strong county board action

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 03/01/2016 13:40:40    1814214

Therein lies the problem. Agreed County Boards need to be more proactive but in my view, ultimately clubs need to manage this better i.e. show real leadership. County Boards can only act on the information they're given about violent events. All too often, there's not only blanket silence from club's re: members behaviour-but almost a sense of 'pride' shown by some clubs in 'getting away with it'. As alluded to in my original post, this culture seems endemic within the GAA and not just in Wicklow.

An honest question (no names): who is aware of any club in Ireland issuing their own ban on a player/member who has committed a serious act of violence at a match as either a player or spectator? Personally I know of none. That tells its own story. I'd be interested to hear from others.

stanley (None) - Posts: 434 - 03/01/2016 18:20:30    1814278

Interesting post Stanley! Wicklow has been the one county that has had their share of situations broadcast loudly in the news papers of the past.

There is no doubt that unsavoury incidents have been brushed under the carpet by county boards and by clubs. Many clubs have felt a duty to defend their members when in fact what they are defending is indefensible.

On your question of whether clubs have their own disciplinary systems - I am aware of 2 clubs in Carlow that have passed deserved sanctions on members who have also received sanctions from the county board.

So - I do think that in dealing with discipline some clubs have been strong in defending their members, often unwisely but others have themselves taken the bull by the horns and dealt with their own members strongly.

carlowman (Carlow) - Posts: 1821 - 03/01/2016 20:30:51    1814328