What did brolly say?
I am thinking of three small children. Three small children with their Derry kits folded by their bedsides, wondering why they canāt go to the Ulster final. Three small children unaware of the public bloodbath that is to come.
Today, the 1998 Derry Ulster championship winning team is being introduced to the crowd at half-time. Earlier in the week, when it looked as though Rory Gallagher was going to be on the sideline today, the group decided that we would not go through with it. How could we have? Smiling, waving, blowing kisses?
The GAA symbolises our community. It is what we are. When Nicola Gallagher put her harrowing, terrifying story online, Rory had to step down. He has custody of three small children and their protection is all of our priority.
The reason family courts anonymise parents is not to protect the parents. It is to protect the children. Children are the innocent victims of acrimonious break-ups and of outrageous abuses. Sometimes, they experience things that will haunt them forever. The courtās objective, insofar as is possible, is to allow them to get on with their lives in a way that causes them the least possible damage. To ensure they are in a settled, secure environment.
āI am devastated to hear these allegations. Worse is the fact that these vulnerable children are now going to hear and see this tragedy being played out so publicly.
I make no judgment on the private lives of the parents. But once this moved from the privacy of the family courts and a confidential PSNI investigation into the public domain, the GAA had no choice but to act.
In the coming days, the Gallagher family will be a spectator sport. The three children will be frightened and confused by what they hear and see. They will feel all eyes on them and sense that unmistakeable atmosphere of sympathy that usually accompanies a death in the family. There will be no protecting them now.
Nicola, a vulnerable young woman who has obviously suffered terribly, must be given space and support. Most of all, she must be listened to. Those public howls of distress and pain shook us all to the core.
Rory, who has parental responsibility for three vulnerable children, must also be given space and support. In a few weeks, the public will have lost interest. They will be left to pick up the pieces.
āYesterday morning I was in a quandary about whether to write anything at all for today. Then I got a call from Rodney Edwards, from this paper. He said: āJoe, would you like to comment on the fact that the Derry County Board were notified about these allegations a year ago and yet did nothing?ā Rodney, a decent and straightforward journalist, proceeded to read the email that had been sent to the board by Nicola Gallagherās father. I said, āJesus Christā and put the phone down.
This was never disclosed to the county board members. I never thought this would happen with us. Why? To win some football matches? To get a f**king promotion?
I think of how the GAA is flourishing like never before because of the massive rise in involvement by our girls and women. How it has created such a vibrant community of equals. And then to hear that such serious allegations were reported to us and nothing was done?
I am a Derry GAA man to the core. It is humiliating to know that this has happened in my name. I spoke to several board members yesterday morning who are equally enraged. They had no idea this had been done. They were unaware of the allegations until they read Nicolaās anguished Facebook posts last week.
I am one of the lawyers in the Stardust Inquest, a story of secrets and cover-ups and hoping it would all go away. That disaster occurred on Valentineās Day, 1981, a symphony of sorrowful songs that some hoped would be buried with the dead. But secrets have a habit of coming back to haunt us. Now, they have come back to haunt Derry GAA.
Somebodys in the shit regarding that email
Speculation on my part but I find it hard to believe the children unless terribly young would be unaware of abuse in the home.
The abuse outlined on FB pre dates their birth so itās quite possible they donāt know
Very odd article by Joe there imho.
Brolly is so far lost up his own hole heād give Joe rogan a run for his money.
Heās presenting his opinion as fact and goes unchallenged as he spouts off.
He was laughing and enjoying himself at half time on the pitch yesterday. He didnāt care about any of the various controversies engulfing Derry and their county board.
First youre outraged that he didnāt write something.
Now youre outraged he didnāt write what you wanted 
That would appear slanderous.
You canāt blame him for that. He was with his ābrothersā celebrating a great achievement.
I presume our man wanted Brolly to come out and reveal a cilice around his thigh and offer the opportunity to any who wished to tighten it further.
Heās quick out of the blocks with commentary about most things and fairly comfortable about putting the boot in hard (Brollyisms as Malachy Clerkin christened it this weekend)
That he took an age to comment on this and that his article then is so accommodating to the feelings of Rory Gallagher is worthy of comment imho.
His article was a bit bizarre alright. But Iām not sure thereās a timeline on when you should wade in on something.
Joe had his finger stuck out seeing which way the wind was blowing.
Swirling, he finally decided upon and drafted his āpieceā accordingly.
Maybe with the offing of a legal case joe is watching his Ps and Qs ?
He might make a few bob as defence.
Maybe as someone that had a bad split he is 'just thinking of the children ā
Maybe as someone that has seen the fallout from court he is 'just thinking of the children ā
Maybe Joe knows that good friends in Derry knew and is going soft.
Maybe, maybe, maybeā¦
Guys getting outraged by Brolly 
. - he didnāt write quick enough. He didnāt go in hard enoughā¦ He didnāt write what i wanted!!!
Itās up there with guys getting outraged by Rogan, Peterson, Musk, Cosgroveā¦
Iād say thatās fair enough in some ways. Brolly is entertaining enough when he goes on a rant and I think heās a loss to the Sunday Game.e
That being said, it would seem heās trying to slide himself into the position of being a serious commentator on politics/Irish society etc now - perhaps with one eye on other roles for himself.
As such, he should be called out a bit more on inconsistencies.
Joe has spoken out about FFG and unionist bigotry. Some people canāt be having him for that.