GARDAÍ are investigating after an off-duty Garda was attacked and left unconscious at a minor GAA match in Co Sligo.
Detective Garda Chris O'Neill, who is in his forties and a member of Shamrock Gaels GAA club, was thought to have been knocked to the ground while attempting to escort the referee from the pitch after the match between Shamrock Gaels and Owenmore Gaels on Friday evening.
The match, which Owenmore won by two points to reach the final of the Sligo A1 Minor Championship, took place at Shamrock Gaels' home pitch in Coola.
It is understood fans were aggrieved about the amount of injury time played at the end of the game and some confronted referee Joe Hynes after the final whistle.
Several people, including Mr O'Neill, tried to escort the referee from the pitch. Mr O'Neill was then allegedly punched and repeatedly kicked in the head causing him to lose consciousness.
A Garda spokesman confirmed that gardaí are investigating an assault on a man in his early forties at Coola, Sooey, Riverstown, Co Sligo on Friday September 2 at about 8.20pm.
In a statement Owenmore Gaels criticised the violence.
"Following the minor match in Coola on Friday night, September 2, the club would like to emphasise it does not condone the scenes that followed,” it said.
Secretary of Sligo County Board Gerry O’Connor told RTÉ it is also investigating.
"We know very little at the moment, most of our information is third hand, but obviously we would hope the victim of the assault makes a full recovery," he said.
He said he believed the assault "was on the higher end of the scale, and was pretty vicious if proven true".
Mr O’Connor said Sligo Competitions Control Committee (CCC) will examine the referee’s report before deciding what action to take.
"The more serious the incident the more it is incumbent upon the CCC to carry out a very thorough investigation," he said.
