Referee recording reopens Philly McMahon final furore

The furore around an alleged All-Ireland final incident between Philly McMahon and Kieran Donaghy was reopened last night after revealing audio emerged from a RTÉ documentary.

McMahon will serve a one-match ban as a result of the incident, though he has denied any intent to target the Kerry captain’s eye.

Donaghy claimed last month that he never accused McMahon of gouging him, suggesting he simply gestured to his eyes to enquire if referee David Goldrick had seen a foul near the Dublin goal.

But a microphone carried by match referee David Coldrick during the match clearly captures Donaghy drawing the referee’s attention to the incident, reported SportsJoe.ie last night.

The recording is taken from the documentary All-Ireland Final Day, which airs next Monday at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.

The programme follows RTÉ commentator Darragh Maloney, members of the Artane Boys Band and a number of Croke Park staff during the All-Ireland football final.

But it is the focus on match referee Coldrick which produces the most compelling insight.

With Kerry chasing a goal late in the game, Donaghy falls to the ground in the Dublin goalmouth and McMahon makes contact with his eye.

The Kingdom captain immediately runs towards the referee, gesturing furiously towards his eyes, shouting: “He gouged my eye on the ground, Dave.”

“I didn’t see that now, Kieran,” replies Coldrick, before McMahon joins the discussion, saying: “That was just two lads competing, that’s all.”

“Lads, lads, it’s okay. It’s alright, it’s alright, Philly,” says Coldrick, before allowing a substitution take place to cool rising tensions.

The recording also reveals another Kerry player tried to draw the referee’s attention onto McMahon earlier, according to SportsJoe.

“Watch four for Dublin, all the time...Watch him, David,” implores one voice earlier in the game, after McMahon clashed with Colm Cooper.

The Meath official followed up by having a word with McMahon: “Philly, come on. This is just a warning Philly, that’s all.”

McMahon was booked in the match, after an umpire spotted another infringement.

“Number four persistent fouling, yellow card,” says the umpire. When the sanction arrives, McMahon protests his innocence: “It’s always the back! It’s always the back! Donaghy is hitting me when I am trying to make a block,” he argues. “David, I swear to God I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re holding him the whole time,” counters Coldrick.

“I’m not holding him! Fuck sake!”

“I’ll watch Philly, but you were doing it there. You were doing it there.”

After an outstanding year, McMahon won his first All Star award last night, though he lost out to colleague Jack McCaffrey for the Football of the Year prize, with the fallout from the Donaghy incident unlikely to have helped his cause.