Government and Sport Ireland discuss rise in fixture violence

One newly appointed inter-county referee said the GAA is on a cliff edge when it comes to assaults on match officials and the association must now be stronger in response to assaults. File photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The Department of Sport and Sport Ireland have begun talks on how to address the spate of 'unsavoury' incidents which have marred fixtures across the country in recent weeks.

However, the department has said 'primary responsibility' for addressing the problem rests with governing bodies such as the GAA and FAI.

One newly appointed inter-county referee, Ciarán Flynn, has told the Irish Examiner the GAA is on a cliff edge when it comes to assaults on match officials and said the association must now be stronger in response to assaults.

The latest incident last weekend during a minor hurling league game in Dublin saw an umpire assaulted by two men. It is being investigated by gardaí.

Ciarán Flynn says that while the issue is not limited to the GAA, it comes under the most scrutiny. Mr Flynn told the Irish Examiner that the State should get involved where necessary.

He said: “If something is happening inside the railing or fence at a game, that is a GAA matter. If a supporter hops the railing – that’s where the State judicial system should be dealing with that.

Straight away, I’d be talking about five-year bans or lifetime bans within the GAA, but that’s where the courts need to be involved as well.

Debarment from the association is also an option, according to Mr Flynn.

“(The situation) is on a cliff edge because we want to clean up the game. If we punish the rulebreakers – the clear ones, the ones that are obvious — if you deal with them, it’ll send out a message that we will not tolerate this in the GAA.” 

In the wake of the latest incident in Dublin, former GAA president Seán Kelly told RTÉ: "It's time for zero tolerance, particularly in ensuring that, number one, the individual involved is given, possibly, a life ban. 

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"I think clubs have to take responsibility. They have responsibility for their supporters... and they'll have to bear the brunt as well if one of their supporters commits an offence like this," he told RTÉ.

"These incidents should probably be dealt with at central level rather than local or county-board level."

A spokesperson for the Sports Minister Thomas Byrne told the Irish Examiner that while talks have begun between his department and Sport Ireland: "The primary responsibility for ensuring a respectful and disciplined environment rests with individual participants and their National governing bodies.”