Jayo : "Racial abuse is something I've had to endure over the years on the football field," the Dublin 1995 All-Ireland winner writes in today's Irish Daily Star.

"My late father was from Hong Kong and I understand that I look different to most Irish people. When I was growing up, Ireland wasn't as multi-cultural and I suffered a lot more racism when I was younger. But just three years ago, I played in Dublin for St. Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh and got racially abused by one of the opposition players.

"It is humiliating when it happens, as there's nothing you can do about how you look or your background. And it always leaves a mark. I think I can remember every time I was racially abused while playing Gaelic football.

____________

Don't mind the haters Jayo , For every 1 racist b*****d there are 10,000 idolizing blue and navy soliders, We are your disciples, Your idolized by the blue and navy brigade. :)

Seriously though , I believe Sean Og was another victim , Along with Lee Chin and Jayo , I know 3 players that we know about and considering the number of players that play the sport right now in the present and in the past thats a small number , but its 3 too many , Zero tolerance , Ban them for life..

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13654 - 21/06/2012 11:15:34    1199026

Yes I agree, and I really felt angry with comments on a previous post on this site trying to pick holes on the Wexford Chairmans statement.
I am from Wexford, living in Australia married to an Australian born chinese girl.
It hurts even more when one of your own insults your own family. I'd say his mother would feel more hurt than anybody because people are treating her son as anything but Irish. I have never been racist to anybody I think it's one of the worst forms of ignorance. Also being Irish you would think people would know better, we have been emigrating in our millions for years and have been very much discriminated against.
To be fair I was back in Ireland for a year in 2008 to 2009 with my two boys and my wife and whatever was being said behind our backs I never heard a bad word to our faces, so I think it's a minority of idiots or at least I'd hope it was.
The Irish jokes still fly around and I feel even this should stop because the jokes sometimes are thrown out in a very insulting way. Recent comments made by the Police commissioner in New Zealand would not be labelled be lableled against anyother nationality/race in relation to the Irish being drunk during the recent Rugby test. Whether it was true or not it's something that should be handled as individual incidents irrespective of who made them. There was no need to make those comments in a public way like that it would do nothing to remedying the issue. Also I think you'll find that the Kiwis are just as bad if they travel for games and I think his comments saying his own countrymen don't act like that was just as insulting. Also there have been recent events in Perth where an employer advertised for Irish not to apply for jobs. Have you ever heard of similar incidents involving American or English people. Could you imagine the uproar in Australia if it was posted in relation to those of Africian or Chinese background. I get fedup of it to be honest I think there is this idea that we are fair game because it's only a bit of fun and we are white. The thing is we accept it, ah sure it's only a bit of craic. By accepting it was make it OK. I've started to learn this, we should have a bit more respect for ourselves. Time to make people realise that they cannot say stuff like that anymore. I'm not there but the press in Ireland should have been up in arms back home and demanded an apology just to show that it's not acceptable anymore.

Nick (Wexford) - Posts: 1100 - 21/06/2012 11:59:33    1199057

Don't mind the haters Jayo , For every 1 racist b*****d there are 10,000 idolizing blue and navy soliders, We are your disciples, Your idolized by the blue and navy brigade.

You can apply that to the whole country my friend, not just Dublin players or fans in navy & blue.

Unfortunately, there remains a small number of d**kheads stuck in the past or devoid of the intelligence to overlook that sort of nonsense but as you say, they are vastly outnumbered by the decent good-spirited masses of GAA fans.

gigoer (Wexford) - Posts: 1998 - 21/06/2012 12:01:45    1199061

If the GAA are serious about this they will ask all clubs to ban any one caught racially abusing players. This is disgusting. The GAA rightfully talked about the ethos of the organisation recently when referring to Seanie Johnson. Well, racial abuse goes against the ethos of the GAA too. The GAA should use these examples to come out strong and nip this problem in the bud immediately.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 21/06/2012 13:59:17    1199177

Poor form, goes without saying...

However this quote I find a bit daft:

Don't mind the haters Jayo , For every 1 racist b*****d there are 10,000 idolizing blue and navy soliders, We are your disciples, Your idolized by the blue and navy brigade. :)

Since it happened in a dublin club game... Obviously the racist so and so was a blue and navy soldier also, and he spent his racism-laden youth in dublin, surrounded by other blue and navy soldiers. Clearly the blue and navy bit is a bit rich...

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 21/06/2012 14:10:37    1199192

Since it happened in a dublin club game... Obviously the racist so and so was a blue and navy soldier also, and he spent his racism-laden youth in dublin, surrounded by other blue and navy soldiers. Clearly the blue and navy bit is a bit rich...


we're talking Dublin club football here - the offending player could have been from anywhere. Jayo is a living legend in Dublin.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 21/06/2012 14:21:01    1199201

The sectarian abuse Fermanagh hurler Darren Graham received a few years ago is also racist, sectarianism = racism.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 21/06/2012 14:44:55    1199223

its a disgrace for dubliners themselves ( as in the opposition player ) to racially abuse a player who has served his county well , people need to do there talking on the pitch and not use these words , its becoming like soccer .

M.Simoncelli (Meath) - Posts: 126 - 21/06/2012 14:45:34    1199224

excellent post Nick.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 21/06/2012 14:52:19    1199231

No to racism lads!

gaa has always been a fair team game and these incidents should not be happening. It`s great to have diversity within the gaa culture from race, religion and other cultural backgrounds.

we don`t choose the way we look! therefore it isn`t fair to descriminate others.

no respect to anyone involved with racism!

keep up the goodwork Chin.

theusualsuspect (Monaghan) - Posts: 7 - 21/06/2012 15:25:29    1199255

Floops
we're talking Dublin club football here - the offending player could have been from anywhere.

And the growing up bit, how do you 'explain' that one?


Jayo is a living legend in Dublin.

Only since he became an intercounty footballer, evidently


Look im not trying to tar all dubs with the one brush, I just think it is a bit rich saying the dubs are behind him, when it was the dubs that done it to him in the first place. Surely everyone is behind him, not just the dubs?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 21/06/2012 15:33:38    1199263

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 4336

wayno is talking about the dublin fans who support the dublin team, not every tom dick and harry who lives in dubln, scumbags who cowardly abused him over the years could well be dubs although as we are constantly being told all the country lads are playing in the dublin senior championship now so who knows where the players are from.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 21/06/2012 21:47:39    1199600

No place for racism anywhere in life. Hate racism and it should be met with force.

51longago (Mayo) - Posts: 2981 - 22/06/2012 09:25:15    1199633

The players could've been from anywhere.

Jayo got a lot of abuse down the years from Dubs and country lads alike.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13803 - 22/06/2012 09:48:51    1199646

AthCliath
wayno is talking about the dublin fans who support the dublin team, not every tom dick and harry who lives in dubln, scumbags who cowardly abused him over the years could well be dubs although as we are constantly being told all the country lads are playing in the dublin senior championship now so who knows where the players are from.

Again quick to pass the blame to 'country lads'. Was it 'country lads' also that abused him growing up? Bit of a trek going to school in dublin wasnt it? And judging by your above comments, I take it that the same young lads dont support dublin in the AI series...

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 22/06/2012 10:06:00    1199656

Racism on any field of sport should not be tolerated.

Racism in any walk of life should not be tolerated either.

The good thing for Sherlock is that he was a decent player & able to score so that is as big an answer as an ignorant person can get.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 22/06/2012 10:45:49    1199682

I think it's important to highlight this issue is not a GAA issue it's a cultural issue. But this day and age there is a huge awareness about racism and anybody who takes part in it whether it's in soccer,football, rugby, the workspace has no excuse really. Of course unfortunately the press highlight it again because it's the GAA, I am not proud the incident took part in my county but I am proud that it has been handled so well by the referee and the county board. For me the only other thing That would make me proud is if the offending players came out and made a public apology and supported the cause of stamping out racism in Ireland. Also it's not an Irish thing either, I think we have been very tolerant in ireland and have grown a lot quicker than any country considering such a large number of immigrants have arrived in Ireland in such a short duration.

Nick (Wexford) - Posts: 1100 - 22/06/2012 12:17:18    1199758

brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 5492

1199223 The sectarian abuse Fermanagh hurler Darren Graham received a few years ago is also racist, sectarianism = racism.

I remember reading that Darren Graham story in a newspaper after it happened. That was terrible, and totally unacceptable.
I think its sad that Jason Sherlock or any other individual should suffer any kind of racial or sectarian abuse while playing Gaelic games. I know players taunt each other on the pitch, but there is a line that shouldnt be crossed.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 22/06/2012 12:58:46    1199802

Yes, the Jayo, Darren & Wexford incidents are gross.

Just as the taunting of a player after a brothers suscide, was that not in a club game as well.

All completely out of order.

What is also noticable is that these players being harrasses are/were not "physical" types. Adds another string to those doing it, cowards.

KELF (Kildare) - Posts: 775 - 22/06/2012 16:28:51    1200018

Just as the taunting of a player after a brothers suicide, was that not in a club game as well.

Where did that happen? TBH I think this is even worse than racial stuff. Although also awful, at the core of it, racism is a generalisation insult, there is something very personal in the above.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 22/06/2012 16:34:21    1200027