GAA trainer avoids jail after boxing teen player in the face

A 'momentary lapse in concentration' - that's all it took for one Dublin solicitor to violently punch a teenager in the face at a GAA match.

Conor Connelly (32), himself a former intercounty footballer, struck a 17-year-old player with a right hook right into the mouth during a county final last July. An what was the teenagers offence? He accidentally fell across the sideline and brushed against Connelly.

The teen, playing for Edenderry, was trying to keep the ball in play when he was rewarded by Connelly, a trainer for the opposing team, with a box in the face and serious damage to his teeth.

Connelly held his hand up to the assault at Tullamore District Court yesterday. And while Judge Catherine Staines said violence had no place in sport, she only gave the slap happy solicitor a three month suspended sentence.

In December, Connelly, with an address in Montpelier Court, Montpelier, Dublin, paid €11,000 compensation.

The solicitor for Connelly said he had lost concentration momentarily at the end of a very passionate match and felt great shame for his wandering fists.

He went on to say that Connelly had to step down as a trainer immediately after the incident - probably no harm if his fists are going to keep unconsciously smacking teenagers for no apparent reason.