Larry Ryan: After Dublin incident, Gaelic football has been driven underground

Everything we know about the sport’s fine traditions suggested Dublin’s efforts to avoid sanction would hardly stop short of subpoenaing Susie Dent from Dictionary Corner to the DRA. Instead, they fessed up and punished themselves

BLACK MARKET BALL: Dublin manager Dessie Farrell during the 2020 All-Ireland final. This week Farrell took the fall for dealing in contraband Gaelic football. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

At least the events of this week have brought a certain amount of clarity. They have probably taken off the table a radical solution proposed by various interest groups over the years.

We now know that if you were to ban Gaelic football altogether, if you were to stick a knife in all the footballs, as has often been proposed, it would only be driven underground.