Outcome of Limerick’s New York inquest to stay ‘in-house’ – Kiely
THE disciplinary inquest launched by Limerick GAA after two county hurlers were sent home from their ill-fated New York trip has concluded – but the outcome will be kept “in-house”.
That was the emphatic message delivered by John Kiely when he spoke publicly on the matter for the first time since last month’s controversy.
The Limerick boss is determined to move on from a year that delivered All-Ireland semi-final heartbreak and then the unwanted off-season sequel of a Big Apple ‘street brawl’ video.
The 2018 Liam MacCarthy champions ran into transatlantic turbulence during last month’s New York Hurling Classic, when footage of a fight involving one senior hurler, and recorded by another, emerged on social media.
The recording showed one of the hurlers in a street altercation with another man, reportedly a supporter. Neither player was named.
Standards
When the story broke, Limerick GAA issued a statement to confirm it had sent home two panellists early “following an incident”, adding: “Limerick GAA expects the highest standards of behaviour and example from its players, both on and off the field, and will not tolerate any breach of those standards. A disciplinary process has commenced and there will be no further comment in relation to this matter.”
Kiely was sticking rigidly to that last sentence at the launch of the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League, in which his Treaty charges will open their account against All-Ireland champions Tipperary on December 20.
“I think we made it clear at the time when we issued our statement that there wasn’t going to be any further comment on the matter,” he said. “It’s an internal matter.”
As with disciplinary matters in any organisation, he added, “you are not going to be going out and airing them
in the public afterwards. It’s like all disciplinary matters, they’re handled in-house. As far as we are concerned, the matter is closed.
“We are back training since last Tuesday and 2019 has been concluded and we are looking forward to 2020 with great anticipation. We have a lot of changes in our backroom team and
we’ve a number of players who have joined the group.”
Kiely confirmed that the process had concluded but, when asked if he was happy with the outcome, he reiterated his “no further comment” stance.
Likewise, when asked if the players involved would be involved in the Munster Senior League, he replied: “I won’t be issuing any panel to the public for a number of weeks yet. We have a lot of new players who have come into the panel and we want to give them a chance to settle in.
“You would have seen that Paul Browne and Richie McCarthy have retired. Two fantastic lads who gave huge service. It would be more important to be discussing their contribution over the last ten years; it has been immense.
“Richie McCarthy at full-back has marked the very best in the game over the last decade ... and Paul Browne, a huge servant in the middle of the field, a huge engine. Two massive guys in terms of contribution they brought.”
Kiely was much more forthcoming on the subject of introducing a TV match official to assist on-field referees as a GAA alternative to ‘VAR’.
Limerick chairman John Cregan has previously confirmed they will table a motion in the wake of their controversial semi-final climax against Kilkenny, when his county was denied a potentially equalising ’65 at the death.
“We are all very much willing to buy into anything that will improve the accuracy of what we are doing on match-day,” Kiely said.
“There is a huge amount at stake, be it in a Munster final, or an All-Ireland semi-final or final. These games come down to such small margins. If we can ensure that everybody goes home knowing that the result is the correct result, and the right result, and that correct decisions were taken on the day by whatever means that is possible without interrupting the flow of the game obviously.
“You don’t want to end up with a soccer VAR where people are walking off the field to look at a screen, nobody wants that,” he said. “But if there was a mechanism by which we could make a call on the sideline to ask whoever is upstairs looking at these cameras and screens, who can see exactly what has happened and to slow it down.
“If it takes 30 seconds, 40 seconds to do that through the fourth official, I think that is a fantastic idea and one that I think all management teams would be very supportive of.”