I think it also reads terribly that it’s mentioned that a named ordinary person was alone with the children, even if it was possibly only for a very brief time. That has certain connotations in this day and age. Obviously nothing untoward physically happened but it’s tossed in there and then just left hanging in the air…
Something clearly going on here in the background with axes to grind. Someone handed Kimmage the AK47 and he was happy to pull the trigger.
Grilling some hapless GAA official after two members swore and gave out to a couple of youngsters - it’s hardly Pulitzer winning stuff.
Kimmage came across as a cunt. Pity he didn’t have as much to say about his mate Humphries.
Thats why it shouldnt have happened in the first place. Out of everything in the article I think this was the biggest fuck up by the club/mentor. You just cant do it. Naming these fellas was going too far though
Whilst i agree with the thrust of your point here in that this is blown out of proportion there is more than a bang of sweep sweepery off your attititude. And Id suggest it was this type of dismissive atttitude allowed this situation develop
Aside at all from the reporting of it. On the facts as we were told the club was wrong. But instead of trying to fix it they went on a huge defensive effort. In this day and age there is a huge onus on clubs to manage this type of stuff properly and parents have high expectations
Straddled a line between sensationalism and innuendo, trying to spice up his basically hot air article and/or really do someone.
But they weren’t found to be in the wrong by the committee?
Was not on Web nor this site.
I commented specifically saying I had not read it and was talking generally about 1 specific point
lol
Please expand pal
They wernt but
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The guy who was swearing wrote a letter of apology and it was dropped. This was an admission of wrong doing in fairness
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They wernt found to have breached any rules on other piece just wasnt enough evidence. I think the attitude of GAA subsequently towards the club is fairly telling as to whether they were right or wrong
And in my opinion they were wrong. If the facts in the story are correct. Its black and white you cant be alone with kids. They arent disputing that
It’s alleged he gave out to them for a minute or two and said they’d never play for the club again. Obviously not the best way to treat kids but that he said this without another adult present has led to this person being named and shamed - as it were - in a national newspaper. I just find it staggering. You could go through every club in Ireland and run with stories of fall outs. Bizarre that this has been given such a detailed write up. You’d be devastated if private matters involving a sports club were plastered all over the media and your name sullied.
Is he going to go after lads who square up to each other in 5-a-side football next?
Are innocence and guilt appropriate terms to be using in relation to some man giving up his time to coach a team of kids?
Its the fact they were alone with him is the issue. What he said or didnt say is immaterial.
Agree completely it shouldnt have been reported but that’s a different point
in terms of tom humphries and a rake of other gga coaches - yes
If you want to give me different wording for purposes of discussion happy to change
I’m not defending them, I’m not from athenry, and they clearly did some wrong, but reading it again the lad from Clare seems to have taken a huge level of offence from the outcome of the committee he chaired. Was he outvoted? I’m sure he was in the gaa’s ear after. By the letter they did wrong, but did these two lads have any idea of the protocols. yes they’d should have obviously. This still all smacks of a minor issue dragged out too much, now all the way to a two page spread in a national paper. There’s bad mindedness on both sides here maybe.
Thats my point really. They didnt follow the protocols. They should have held their hands up and killed it off. Instead they dug in and made it into a huge issue in the club. Lack of knowledge of the protocols is absolutely no excuse. They would (should) have had a garda vetting done as part of standard procedure and been informed of do and donts at that point.
If he gave out to them in front of everyone else in the dressing room Kimmage and co would say it was public humiliation and should have been handled differently etc.
I’d be very surprised if the coach told either child that they would never wear an Athenry jersey again. That record at u12, which shows the club at underage is all about participation, and the fact that parents and the club seem to be backing him completely tells me it’s very unlikely. More likely he told them they would not get a jersey at any future u14 games that year as they should be playing u12 only which is entirely reasonable. However he should not have been alone with them at any stage and really if that is what he told them it should have been done in the company of their parents so they understood the reasons.
On a side note, Molloy and Cloonan aside that’s a very ordinary list of stars for a very successful and big club.
Completely besides the point. It would have been poor management if they had done that. What they did by being alone with the kids turned it into a much more serious issue altogether. Regardless of what was said.