Ryan McMenamin clears up infamous clashes with Kerry star Colm Cooper

Ex-Tyrone defender Ryan McMenamin has rejected the long-held theory that he bit and gouged Colm Cooper.

McMenamin was widely held responsible in Kerry for a bite on Cooper’s hand during the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final. He was also alleged in the county to have eye-gouged Cooper during the 2005 final.

But the three-time All-Ireland winner attempts to set the record straight on Laochra Gael on TG4 next Tuesday. Regarding 2003, he recalls: “Peter (Canavan) came to me and he says, ‘The Gooch is saying it’s coming out that he got bit. I was saying, ‘I take it they’re blaming me’. I’ve done bad stuff on the field but I don’t think I’ve ever bit a man now. But when Peter told me about it, he said, ‘Don’t be worrying, there’s still a few ones sore down in Kerry that they got beat’ so I didn’t lose too much sleep over it.”