MJ, The Mort and the Manacled Commentator

In the first instalment of our new daily "Hospital Pass" feature, we shine the spotlight on MJ Tierney's revolt and the strangely non-financially motivated media silence of certain GAA folk.

By Shane Breslin

MJ and The Mort

We’ve already zoned in on the three big issues from the Championship weekend - check that out if your thing is either (a) some biting analysis or (b) rants without sense or structure.

First up here though, we're looking at the bare-faced cheek of Laois forward MJ Tierney, who apparently was not pleased about being benched for Laois’ loss to Dublin at Croker.

Although he was asked to warm up and come on during the game, it's reported that this was one invitation he was happy to turn down.

He later posted the word "Disillusioned" on his Twitter page, and received sympathy from none other than Ireland's Most Famous Twitter Celebrity, The Mort himself.

It was an apt source of comfort for MJ, as the Mort is no stranger to the role of half-decent but mentally fragile corner forward rural, misunderstood genius.

Silence is golden

Meanwhile, there was the strange scenario of GAA people refusing to speak to RTE for the after-match interviews.

It was strange primarily because their reason owed nothing to sponsorship deals with, oh, say, Club Energise (cheque in the post, lads?). Instead, the silence was down to the friendship of Mickey Harte, Kieran McGeeney and Justin McNulty, among others, with Brian Carthy, the RTE radio commentator whose ascent to the throne in Donnybrook has been slow to happen.

Carthy is too happy, smiley and personable to say so himself, of course, but we're told he's miffed that the boffins behind the tinted windows at the end of the longest corridor in Montrose have failed to give him the nod to replace the retired Micheál O Muircheartaigh as the station's top GAA match caller.

The fact that the Roscommon man would, with his scattergun repetitions of "the kick from Maurice Fitzgerald, the point for Kerry"-style inanities, give a headless man a headache is beside the point, of course. He's served his time and deserved his few minutes in the sun. Arrah, sure isn't that the way things are supposed to work in public service Ireland?