Darragh Ó Sé accused of ‘mean-spirited’ comments by Dublin GAA chief

Dublin County Board chief executive John Costello has used his annual report as a platform to criticise both the GAA and Darragh Ó Sé.

In a wide-ranging report that was released today ahead of next week's county convention, Costello hit-out at the amount of influence that the Sunday Game has on disciplinary issues.

On the topic of media influence, Costello accused Darragh Ó Sé of “mean-spirited” and “inflammatory” comments about Diarmuid Connolly.

He said that Ó Sé had effectively put a target on Connolly's back when he suggested in his Irish Times column that the forward should get some “don't-ask-don't-tell stuff off the ball”.

Costello said: “You could argue ‘the ball was throw-in’ very early in the summer ahead of any potential Dublin v Kerry clash.

“In a pre-championship preview, legendary Kerry footballer, Darragh Ó Sé, as good as placed a target on the back of one of our most outstanding footballers, Diarmuid Connolly.

“In my opinion, some of the content was mean-spirited and the choice of language was somewhat inflammatory.”

Costello also revealed that the County Board had asked the GAA for an additional contribution to the All-Ireland champions' holiday fund after their involvement in a semi-final replay against Mayo, but they were only offered an extra €15,000.

That sum was cancelled out just 48 hours later with a fine for the involvement of their hurlers in a brawl during last month's Boston hurling showcase.

“It would appear Charles Dickens' Ebenezer Scrooge has taken up residence off Jones Road this festive season,” he began.

“After a year, when once again, the Dublin footballers proved to be the most successful in the country and attracted the largest crowds to headquarters, we were promised the princely sum of €15,000. Maybe we can be thankful for small mercies as that was a 50 per cent increase on what we were originally granted.

“However, the increase was short-lived as the CCCC recouped that exact amount within 48 hours following the Donnybrook in 22 Boston!

“We don't feel we have a sense of entitlement but we think that after a campaign that included a near full-house (81,897) for our All-Ireland SFC semi-final replay against Mayo, the purse strings could have been loosened a little bit at least.

“We also know that Dublin's commercial value to the central coffers exceeds any other county by a stretch. In recent years, counties involved in an All-Ireland Final Replay have received additional holiday grants of €50,000 and the receipts from the Semi-Final Replay would, I estimate, be comparable.

“Perhaps the reason for the reduction is that our opponents were having, what you might term 'industrial relations issues' regarding their players/management interface at the end of this summer, that Croke Park were not prepared to grant us any more finances.”