Eimear Ryan: Like it or not, diving is now part of the fabric of the GAA

This is part of GAA culture now along with amateurism and community spirit and hats, flags, and headbands. So where do we go from here?

TV viewers were looking forward to AIB Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-final between Ballygunner and Loughmore-Castleiney, but attempts to hoodwink the officials left a sour taste for many. Picture: INPHO/Tom Maher

I was among a rake of GAA fans who sat down in front of the telly on Sunday afternoon, looking forward to an unseasonal feast of hurling. Ballygunner and Loughmore-Castleiney in the Munster club semi-final, with a star billing including Pauric Mahony, Dessie Hutchinson, the McGraths and Stephen O’Keeffe. Not a bad line-up for the depths of December.

As tantalising as the fixture was, the reality was a bit of a mixed bag. At times it was far more than we deserved from winter hurling, Dessie Hutchinson in particular seeming immune to the elements. In parts, it really whetted the appetite for the 2022 Munster championship. But as the conditions worsened and the players tired, it got messy: the ref’s decision-making became confusing, and the crowd grew audibly aggravated.