O’Byrne Cup games are supposed to be sleepy, uneventful afternoons that are quickly forgotten. But this was a surreal sort of day, where two of the biggest incidents to take place didn’t even occur on the field.
In the second-half, an irate Dublin fan lunged at a couple of Longford supporters on the terrace.
Nearby Gardai had to get involved to calm the away supporter, who by then had started ranting furiously about the Black and Tans, among other things.
Then more drama.
At the end of the game, after awarding a few late frees in Longford’s favour, referee Alan Coyne needed an intervention from the stewards to help him safely into his dressing room.
Coyne exited the field in the same area where streams of Dublin supporters were heading towards the exit and they lined up to verbally abuse the Westmeath man as he walked off.
