Jim McGuinness not happy with GAA president over ‘bitgate’

Jim McGuinness has had a dig at GAA president Liam O’Neill over comments he made following the biting allegations surrounding Paddy McBrearty.

By Declan Whooley

While Dublin defender Kevin O’Brien had a three-match ban proposed by the Central Competitions Controls Committee after the allegations of biting the Donegal forward during the League encounter, the case was dropped when McBrearty didn’t attend the CHC meeting and O’Brien successfully appealed the ban.

Some observers were disappointed that the hearing never took place but O’Neill said that there was nothing the Association could do once McBrearty decided not to attend.

“We had no evidence provided on the game. People who had evidence didn't show and that's it,” he said afterwards.

McGuinness has been incensed by those seemingly legitimate claims by O’Neill and suggested that 18-year-old McBrearty is too young to get involved in such disciplinary issues.

“The president of the GAA is a school teacher and should know someone of that age is not fully developed and fully mature and doesn't want to get into a court room like situation,” he told The Irish Independent.

“The thing was reported to the referee and was put into the hands of the CCCC. They had a strong enough case to ban the player and, over the last two weeks, I am reading negative articles about Patrick – and he was the victim.”

McGuinness has expressed his disappointment that the forward has been portrayed in a negative light given that both the doctor and hospital confirmed the Kilcar man had indeed been bitten.

“We wanted him to go; the county board wanted him to go. But he is 18 years of age. Patrick said everything he had to say and they had all the information... He decided he didn't want to go and into a room and point a finger at anyone.”

Strong words from McGuinness, though O’Neill’s comments sound perfectly acceptable to us. If only McBrearty had attended then it may have brought closure to the whole incident.