Sexuality no issue as Brennan bemused at feedback to speech

Dublin defender Ger Brennan can’t understand why so much was made of his “boyfriends” reference in his All-Ireland senior club final acceptance speech last month.

Brennan captained St Vincent’s in the final win over Castlebar Mitchels and in his address afterwards thanked the “girlfriends, boyfriends of the players and everyone involved”. He said: “I have been asked subsequently about what I said following the game and I was quite surprised to hear how much media attention it picked up because no forethought really went into it.

“Going into a final, and maybe other captains of teams will relate to this, I think it’s bad luck to be planning speeches. When I was speaking I was speaking quite openly and generally and that’s the type of person that I am.

“As a member of the GAA and of the Gaelic Players Association, it’s all about diversity and inclusiveness. If a person, man or woman, is playing for their club or county, I don’t see what their sexuality has to do with anything. It’s about a person being happy and true to themselves. I’ve been given plaudits but I don’t really like taking plaudits for something I would say quite naturally. I don’t see what the fuss is about.

“I am someone who is very open to different people’s sexuality and it doesn’t bother me at all.”

Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s The John Murray Show, Brennan praised the Cusack brothers, Irish Examiner columnist Dónal Óg and Conor, after they revealed their sexuality. “The Cusack brothers, Dónal Óg and Conor, they would have stood up, they were true and honest with themselves.”

He added: “True freedom can only come with being honest to oneself and those close to you. I suppose it does reflect on Irish society as a whole, whereby a couple of years ago to see a woman and a woman, or a man and a man, going hand in hand down the street would turn many heads. It’s part of the ethos of the GAA, the Gaelic Players Association to be inclusive of all people. Who cares (about someone’s sexuality) if somebody is trying their best as a sportsperson to represent their clubs, their county or school? “The furore probably comes down to Irish society’s understanding of homosexual activity. It is changing slowly.”