GPA chief Farrell hits out at Heaney’s ‘extraordinary attack’

THE GAELIC Players Association has hit back at columnist Paddy Heaney’s remarks in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, describing it as an “extraordinary attack”.

In his piece Heaney said the GAA should not be responsible for finding players jobs and asked why the GPA was going “in this direction”. Last night GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell responded with a detailed rebuttal.

“Paddy is perfectly entitled to his opinion and to disagree with the GPA’s core activity,” said Farrell. “But he is not entitled to twist fact and rhetoric to tarnish the reputation of the players’ body. Following his now frequent lecture to the rest of us ill-informed Gaels on what the GAA is about, he fails to reference that the GAA has agreed to fund a Development Programme for county players.”