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23rd Jan 2012

Kerry star hit by a handbag during massive brawl at club match

A brawl at yesterday’s All-Ireland Junior football semi-final in Portlaoise was far from ‘handbags’ with one observer describing it as ‘the worst violence’ he’d ever seen.

JOE

A brawl at yesterday’s All-Ireland Junior football semi-final in Portlaoise was far from ‘handbags’ with one observer describing it as ‘the worst violence’ he’d ever seen.

Just before half-time in the semi-final between Dromid Pearses of Kerry and Derrytresk of Tyrone a mass brawl erupted on the pitch.

Players, subs and officials were all involved and it got pretty nasty according to reports in today’s Irish Daily Mirror. Kerry star Declan O’Sullivan was struck by a handbag during the melee but others got much worse treatment.

One of his team-mates, Denis Shine O’Sullivan, ended up with a black eye while another, Thomas Curran, was knocked out and was unable to play in the second half.

An unnamed sub on the Kerry team was also “kicked in the genitals” according to the report, so it seems it got very unpleasant.

Kerry county board officer and Dromid team selector Diarmuid O Se was shocked by what he witnessed.

“Some of the scenes out there were some of the most disgraceful I have ever witnessed on a football pitch,” he said. “I think the GAA will have to investigate these violent scenes. I have never seen anything like it before.

“The GAA have video evidence available and maybe it’s time to use it.”

As for O’Sullivan, it was believed that the gardai spotted the handbag-wielding assailant and spoke to the Kerry star to see if he wanted to charge the attacker. It is reported in the paper that he does not wish to take the matter any further.

Derrytresk went on to win the game 1-10 to 0-7 and proceed to the final but we will wait and see if the GAA takes any action if video does emerge of the fight.

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