O’Neill: No place for spitting shame

GAA president Liam O’Neill said there is no place in the organisation for the person who spat at Karl Lacey at the Tyrone-Donegal Division One game in Omagh on Sunday.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and board chairman Ciaran McLaughlin apologised for the incident in the Donegal dressing room following the heated game.

Tyrone GAA chiefs have launched an investigation into the incident which took place in the stand where Lacey, who was injured, was watching the game.

Speaking at the launch of the GAA’s anti-bullying campaign yesterday where he was briefed on the matter, O’Neill condemned the action.

“If the Tyrone County Board apologised, that’s the correct thing to do. I have always said that any behaviour that makes anyone feel less good about themselves or about being involved in Gaelic Games is abhorrent to me.

“I wouldn’t condone that type of behaviour and to spit at anyone is disgraceful behaviour. I cannot understand the behaviour of anybody who insults or demeans anyone. It has no part in Gaelic games.

“My message to those people is ‘we don’t need you’. I don’t want them in our organisation and I don’t want them going to our games.

“I would appeal to them to go and leave our games to people who want to come and enjoy themselves.”

Last March, Kilkenny manager Brian Cody and their county board apologised to Dublin manager Anthony Daly after he was subjected to an unprovoked attack after the counties’ Division 1A game in Nowlan Park.

Kilkenny had reviewed their stewarding structure and match-day protocol in the wake of the incident.

The flames between Donegal and Tyrone were stoked in Sunday’s tempestuous encounter ahead of the counties’ Ulster quarter-final in May.

Last November, Lacey claimed Tyrone believe they are better than Donegal despite the latter’s position as reigning All-Ireland champions.

Meanwhile, O’Neill said he is not concerned about the recent rise in dissident activity in the North ahead of GAA Congress being held in the city on March 22 and 23.

“I’m not aware of any difficulties facing us going to Derry. I was at Scór na nÓg finals in the same venue and there were no difficulties. I’m quite sure that the preparation in Derry will be to the highest standard. It is the (European) City of Culture.

“We are going to Derry, we are going to have an enjoyable weekend, it’s three weeks away and we are looking forward to it.

“Derry County Board are doing a fantastic job in cooperating with the City of Culture authorities to make this a great year for Derry and we will be playing our part in that.”