Dub star sent home

Dub star sent home

Independent.ie

Tuesday January 13 2009

ONE of Dublin’s rising young football stars was sent home from a training camp in Spain last week for an apparent breach of team discipline.

Diarmuid Connolly was released from the camp on Thursday last, two days before the rest of the squad – who spent the week at the well-known complex in La Manga – returned home.

The Dublin management last night declined to confirm or deny that Connolly was sent home but, in a statement, they said he was one of a number of players who returned early because they were “unable to train”. The return of the other four players is not believed to be linked to disciplinary issues.

It is unclear if Connolly will continue to remain as part of the Dublin squad in 2009.

Connolly is a club colleague and former team-mate of new Dublin manager Pat Gilroy at St Vincent’s.

They shared an All-Ireland club triumph with Vincent’s last March when Mickey Whelan, the current Dublin coach, was manager.

But Gilroy has had to overlook those club connections to deliver a tough message that discipline will be a priority under his management.

Connolly is a talented forward who made his Dublin debut against Tyrone in the opening NFL game of 2007, which marked the official switching-on of the Croke Park floodlights.

He made his championship debut against Meath later that year but faded from the scene that summer.

His second season with the Dubs was far more productive and he scored the first goal in the Leinster final as Dublin swept to an easy success over Wexford.

He is viewed as one of the players who has the potential to take Dublin to the next level.

Gilroy mapped out the trip to La Manga to set out his broader plans for the season and to put in an extensive week of training after the ban on collective training for inter-county teams during November and December.

None of the squad members who were in La Manga were involved in either of Dublin’s O’Byrne Cup games over the last two weekends.

  • Colm Keys

apparantly he’s a bit on the wild side alright…have heard plenty of tales about him…always hard to tell which are true…he was meant to have stayed at home one day as he wasn’t arsed going to parnell to play in a league game for Dublin even though he was seleceted to do so…told no one…pity because he’s a class act…

Have heard a few good ones about him myself scumpot, his first year on the Dublin panel and the NFL was the stuff of legend by all accounts. Odd to see Gilroy* send home one of his own though, not sure what sort of message that is sending out.

*ie Mickey Whelan.

[quote=“myboyblue”]Have heard a few good ones about him myself scumpot, his first year on the Dublin panel and the NFL was the stuff of legend by all accounts. Odd to see Gilroy* send home one of his own though, not sure what sort of message that is sending out.

*ie Mickey Whelan.[/quote]

eh, this is the place for unsubstantiated rumours etc so pop a few up.

Presume he will be going playing hurling now.

i have heard rumours of racism,sexual assault & underhand payments

Massive win for Daly if that is the case*.

*Assuming he is not as mad as Gazza…

Enough about your christmas dinner, what about Connolly?

Have heard rumours too… But surely can’t be all true from what I’ve heard

I heard there was a fire extinguisher involved

Diarmuid Connolly is exactly what Dublin football needs,those straight laced baggers of the last decade havent got Dublin anyhwhere they badly need a basket case who can kick football aswell,if he cant patch things up with Gilroy hes eligable to play for Kilkenny anyway,his Da is from Clara where his Uncle has a landmark pub in the middle of nowhere,Connollys of Dunbell,Diarmuids brother Keith was pulling pints there last Saturday night when i was there.Kilkenny football will embrace this wayward lad.

dont want to go into too much detail but I heard rumours of about a cucumber, a minor player & anal penetration

pissing into a crowded pool at 2pm is not funny

Is he anything to Domo? The intercounty referee

Funny??,thats hilarious hes going to be an icon for frequenters of Hill 16 if this is true,every sport needs a bad un.

Nephew of Domo who was a decent hurler in his day.

Now there’s a shit ref and someone I would regard as a cunt.

Who are you to be deciding whos a cunt and who isnt,Domos reffing can be sketchy eneogh he has good days and bad,can be a little over exact at times id consider him good at it though,he handled the 2007 Minor AI Final very well.Hes a gentleman off the pitch.If its a row your after…

And footballer. Played with him towards the end of his days. I haven’t encountered much of his referreeing but I can safely say that he’s not a cunt Bandage

His refereeing is the sole reason I regard him as a cunt. Petty, spiteful, no common sense - maybe he’s a great lad other than that but he should knock the refereeing on the head. PS, it’s a subjective view. I don’t need to run it by people before deciding that he’s a cunt.

This Connolly lad is a legend. Apparently he loves the coke and once bashed a homeless lad in town. This is what the GAA needs more of.