Jack McCaffrey 'felt sorry' for Dublin footballers over Ger Brennan ordeal

McCaffrey said he didn't feel that the lengthy punishment for Brennan amounted to 'an anti-Dublin thing'.

Mon, 08 Jun, 2026 - 18:00

Paul Keane

Former Dublin star Jack McCaffrey reckons Ger Brennan was 'harshly punished' but dealt with his 12-week suspension 'admirably' until feeling compelled to speak out.

Boss Brennan will return to the Dublin sideline for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC Round 2B clash with Cavan.

Brennan issued a statement through his solicitor last week responding to various remarks made by GAA president Jarlath Burns in media interviews on Tuesday.

Brennan complained about 'insulting' comments made by Burns about the disciplinary process and said the entire episode had left him feeling 'disenfranchised, undervalued' and experiencing 'a lack of belonging to the association'.

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Speaking at this afternoon's launch of PTSB's new sponsorship of the PTSB Dublin club leagues and championships, ex-footballer of the year McCaffrey claimed that the comments of 'a particularly verbose member of the GAA hierarchy' had compelled Brennan to break his silence and issue his statement.

"I think Ger has acknowledged and apologised and held his hands up early doors," said McCaffrey. "And probably felt that his punishment was overly harsh and pursued his appeals, as far as I could see, quietly. And was unsuccessful in them. And then didn't say a peep really - until he did. Which I think was prompted by a particularly verbose member of the GAA hierarchy talking about it.

"And I think Ger has every right (to feel aggrieved). He was punished, he accepted his punishment. Why do people still need to keep having a pop off him in the media over it? Sorry, that might be a mischaracterisation of what happened but I do have a huge amount of sympathy for Ger in feeling that he was overly, harshly punished."

McCaffrey said he didn't feel that the heavy treatment meted out to Brennan, compared to the lack of action taken against Donegal manager Jim McGuinness for a relatively similar incident in the Kerry game, amounted to 'an anti-Dublin thing'.

"I don't think it means that everybody should get a 12-week ban; two wrongs don't make a right in that instance," said McCaffrey, who referenced the 12-week suspension dished out to former Dublin colleague Diarmuid Connolly following an altercation with a linesman in 2017.

"I am reminded of an episode when I was playing, when one of our teammates got a 12-week suspension for touching an official, and it just became clear that a lot of people touch officials over the course of a season, from watching games, and yet don't get 12-week bans.

"So I think that's a case-by-case thing, it's not an anti-Dublin thing at all. I'm a firm believer that anyone involved in the GAA at any level is doing it with the best intentions and doesn't go out to treat anyone unfairly. I'd give everyone the benefit of the doubt there. But I can completely sympathise with Ger feeling very disappointed."

Dublin are desperate to ignite their Championship campaign after back-to-back defeats to Leinster opposition, Westmeath and Louth. Brennan has missed Dublin's last four games in all, because of the ban, which arose from an incident during their National League tie with Galway on March 22.

"It's just such a pity really," said medical doctor McCaffrey, a six-time All-Ireland winner. "And I think Ger has behaved really admirably around the whole thing, in terms of just keeping the head down in so far as he could. And they got on with it as a group.

"I think particularly in a first season when you're trying to find an identity as a gang with new players and everything like that, I just felt sorry for them having to deal with that. And I think Dean (Rock) in fairness has done a remarkable job. I'm sure he didn't see himself in that role six months ago, 12 weeks ago even.

"I think they'll have some regrets over it because it'll have affected the year, and they'll just need to kind of look back on it and obviously make sure it doesn't happen again."

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