Brennan: 'Jarlath Burns apologised, I accepted it. We move on'

GOOD TO BE BACK: Dublin manager Ger Brennan after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Dublin manager Ger Brennan has revealed GAA president Jarlath Burns personally apologised to him about the remarks he made earlier this month.

Brennan, who wants Dublin’s All-Ireland SFC Round 3 to be played in Parnell Park if they are drawn at home on Monday, said Burns spoke to him after Brennan issued a statement about his remarks in interviews.

Burns had claimed it was “irrational” to compare Brennan’s 12-week ban for physically interfering with Galway coach Cian Breathnach-McGinn in March and Donegal manager Jim McGuinness avoiding a ban for pushing Kerry player Diarmuid O’Connor in Fitzgerald Stadium last month.

Brennan had described Burns’ comments as "insulting" but was contacted by the Armagh native since and is moving on.

Speaking for the first time since his suspension elapsed on Sunday midnight, the St Vincent’s man said: “I issued a statement through my solicitor last week. I don't have a whole lot more to add to it, other than to thank again the people who supported me behind the scenes and all of yourselves, to be fair to you in terms of common sense being applied.

“So, to be fair to Jarlath Burns, he did ring me last week. We had a lovely conversation on the phone, he was sincere, honest and he apologised, I accepted it. We move on, concentrating on the football from my point of view and then Congress is the opportunity to try to avoid something happening.

“To be fair to Jarlath, I think he's done a lot of great work. I think, with my third level hat on (UCD GAA executive), he's been super president that way and then with the new rules as well, he's been super and to be fair to him. He picked up the phone, gave me a phone call and he acknowledged what he acknowledged and I accepted it, and we move on.”

Brennan confirmed he attended as a spectator the four championship games for which he was suspended. He is due to be banned a further two games in next year’s Division 2 campaign and wants that reversed.

“I should be on the sideline for the two league games next year. The ban needs to be layered in terms of the CCCC (Central Competitions Control Committee) has to have some sort of discretion to be able to integrate and acknowledge mitigating circumstances, history, what not.”

Brennan referenced the half-time row between Derry and Meath where referee Seán Hurson, the man in the middle in Killarney, black carded four players, sent off a Meath maor uisce and booked a substitute.

“It's a tough job for referees to be fair to them and there's so much going on at half-time and you see what happened up in Derry again last night watching that. So, Seán Hurson has been busy but he did what he did last night.

“It's a tough task for the referees so there has to be a bit more of an opportunity for a review committee similar to what they have in rugby to look back over things. Because it's not fit for purpose the current set up as it is.”

Cavan manager Dermot McCabe expressed sympathy for Brennan. “Ger’s a gentleman and a really good fella. I'm not going to go into the pitfalls and all that type of stuff as regards. I would just feel that there's immense pressure on referees and sideline officials.

“I think with the new rules, I think a wrong call has a much greater effect than maybe a score or two scores. It's very hard to win your own kick-out so if you make a mark, I seen in the game last night I think there was maybe a mark that should have been given, it ended up being a score, it ended up being a kick-out. If you have a 50 or 60% rate of winning your kick-outs you're under pressure again.”

After back-to-back SFC defeats in Croke Park against Westmeath and Louth, Brennan favours playing Dublin’s de facto preliminary quarter-final in Parnell Park in what would be their first championship game since a first-round qualifier against London in 2004.

“The evidence speaks for itself and if we are to get a home draw, I know our senior hurlers have a big game away to Clare on Saturday night. I'd love to go and play, if it was a home draw for Dublin, probably be on a Sunday playing in Parnell Park and get out of Croke Park.”