Fogarty Forum: Ger Brennan is serving a brutal penance for a rash moment
Dublin manager Ger Brennan was handed the ban for physically interfering with Galway strength and conditioning coach Cian Breathnach McGinn at half-time of the counties’ Division 1 final round game in Pearse Stadium. Pic: Piaras Ă“ MĂdheach/Sportsfile
Timing is everything as Dublin manager Ger Brennan learned to his cost on Saturday when his last resort failed him.
The Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) upheld his 12-week ban plus the first two of the county’s Division 2 games in 2027. He is certain to miss a minimum of five matches (two provincial, one All-Ireland, two National League) and a maximum of seven.
It will climb to seven if Dublin beat Louth in Portlaoise in Saturday week’s Leinster semi-final and the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) schedule Dublin’s second round game in the Sam Maguire Cup for Saturday, June 13. His suspension elapses the following day.
For what Brennan did on the field in Salthill last month, seven games would be grossly disproportionate. Five is disproportionate for removing Cian Breathnach-McGinn’s earpiece and pulling the Galway strength and conditioning coach. For his involvement, Breathnach-McGinn’s eight-week ban will amount to missing two championship fixtures and two Division 1 matches next year.
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Last year, Antrim manager Davy Fitzgerald was handed an eight-week ban for a “misconduct considered to have discredited the Association” charge. Fitzgerald had made comments about referee Johnny Murphy following Antrim’s Leinster SHC defeat to Galway. But he never missed a game as the punishment commenced after Antrim exited the championship.
Eight years ago, then Roscommon manager Kevin McStay was issued the same 12-week ban as Brennan for throwing a ball in the direction of linesman Niall Cullen during a Super 8 game against Donegal. The extent of his suspension was missing the subsequent game against Dublin as they exited the championship.
Notwithstanding the 12-week Covid breach suspensions for Dessie Farrell, Ronan McCarthy, Seamus McEnaney and Paddy Tally, Brennan’s is one of the heaviest penalties issued to a senior inter-county manager for an infraction at the same level since Billy Morgan was landed with a 24-week ban in 2007.
The then Cork boss’ ban had been doubled as what he said to a linesman in that year’s All-Ireland final was deemed a repeat infraction inside 48 weeks. It was cut to eight weeks a month later and amounted to nothing.
Apart from Fitzgerald, none of the mentioned managers were prevented from all GAA team involvement during their bans. Since a rule change in 2023, which Dublin supported, the coverage of a time-based suspension is far greater.
Undoubtedly, the condensed nature of the inter-county schedule intensifies the pain for Brennan. When Kieran McGeeney was handed a three-month suspension in April 2017, he was absent for just two championship outings.
Brennan undoubtedly merited a ban – he said so himself during the disciplinary process – but was what he did so utterly different from Breathnach-McGinn to potentially mean the consequence of his behaviour was possibly double the punishment in terms of games? Yet it was not for the CCCC to consider the exact ramifications of administering the proposed suspension arising from referee Fergal Kelly’s match report.
Dublin had argued that as Breathnach-McGinn was not, as per match regulation, listed as a team official on the list issued to the referee, he was technically not one. However, the rulebook states a team official “shall mean a person whom the Council or Committee-in-Charge considers to have been a Team Official involved in the Game in question.”Â
Dublin had also queried why the CCCC sought clarification from the Galway secretary Michael McMahon about the role of Breathnach-McGinn, which was provided as “liaison”. Dublin contended the body could only seek such from the referee.
Even though his name wasn’t on the sheet, referee Kelly himself had determined Breathnach-McGinn was a team official as he had been seen entering the Galway dressing room at half-time and was dressed similarly to other county team officials.
Last week, the DRA secretary Eamonn Denieffe confirmed former Mayo footballer and senior counsel Dermot Flanagan would chair the tribunal panel. Richella Carpenter and Seán McKenna, former Monaghan GAA secretary, would also be on it.
However, following correspondence from the GAA, Flanagan and Carpenter were replaced by Gareth Robinson and Pat Purcell. McKenna remained on the panel. Carpenter was acting secretary.
Croke Park had sought confirmation from Denieffe that the panel would be fully impartial and that no member of the panel was a member of a Dublin club or involved with the Dublin County Board. The question of integrity had been raised from the Dublin side but was swiftly nipped in the bud by the GAA.
Earlier this year, Flanagan had been DRA tribunal chairperson working alongside Robinson and Con Hogan when the panel lifted Cullen Killeen’s suspension, which had threatened to rule the Loughrea man out of their All-Ireland club final against Ballygunner.
Brennan’s playing days are over. He is not going to miss an All-Ireland but that he may miss an entire championship programme in his first year as Dublin manager is a brutal penance for a rash moment.
A bit of joined-up thinking would make it worth Cork supporters’ while to attend the footballers’ Munster semi-final against Tipperary this weekend as well as the hurlers’ clash with Limerick.
Discounting the €20 admission fee into Thurles on Saturday for anyone with a ticket to the bigger draw in SuperValu Páirc Uà Chaoimh would be a move in the right direction.
Likewise, could something have been done for Tipperary followers already in receipt of a ticket for the SHC game in Waterford on Sunday?
And what about the Galway fans who, but for the costs involved, may wish to be in Pearse Stadium on Saturday and Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday (notwithstanding the different provincial councils overseeing those games)?
This past weekend, Kildare’s hurlers and footballers lined out on different days in Cedral St Conleth’s Park this past weekend. Asking a supporter to pay €25 for a stand ticket each time was too much.
Similarly, Wexford fans could have been spared the same €50 outlay to make taking in their hurlers’ trip to Naas and footballers’ meeting with Louth in Carlow a more attractive consideration.
From €15 tickets to free admission for children to last year’s hurling final, to their new ticketing bundles, Leinster GAA have been innovative in their schemes, but the dual supporter has to be considered by the GAA as a whole.
She or he, like the dual player, is a dying breed but it doesn’t help when there are few incentives other than the occasional league double-header.
Hopefully, it’s something the ticketing committee chaired by Ulster vice-chairman Declan Woods are considering. “They are coming up with all sorts of ideas around dynamic structures, dynamic pricing,” GAA president Jarlath Burns said of the body last year.
Two weeks into the championship, there are a few indications people are feeling the pinch in the pocket. Value has to be at the heart of what the GAA is selling.
“I don’t know, you have to get onto the groundsman about that,” smiled Micheál Donoghue on about the suggestion Galway widened the Pearse Stadium pitch for Saturday’s win over Kilkenny.
Before the game, Maurice Brosnan of this parish, a keen observer of the Salthill sod, certainly thought they had increased the size of the playing surface. “I’d say Galway have widened the pitch here,” he posted on “X”. “Their running game vs Kilkenny’s physicality will be interesting.”Â
Often, we hear about the home teams narrowing the perimeter of a pitch, even moving league games to smaller, more claustrophobic grounds to level things up against stronger opposition.
Tyrone did just that in Healy Park in 2018 when Dublin arrived in Omagh for a Super 8 game. Sky Sports was cited as the reason for the narrowing but really the home side wanted to squeeze the All-Ireland champions.
On Saturday, the Galway management were confident enough to create as much space as possible for their young team. Only six weeks after their 18-point drubbing there, Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng must have surely known the score as soon as he arrived at the venue.
If the Galway sideline were sending out signals before the game, they were also doing so towards the end by taking off their starring young players with over 10 minutes to go. Jason Rabbitte and Aaron Niland were both replaced by the hour mark. The lights shine bright in the west.
