The last thing you want, as a flawed individual myself, is pontificating and taking a moral high ground. Many ex-players in their weekly column will not touch the issue of domestic violence with a 10-foot barge pole.
I do believe, though, that as players we need to show solidarity with all victims and perhaps not be accused of hiding behind a ‘boys’ club’.
Given how social media has changed and the way we now receive our information, things travel much faster and further nowadays.
Read More
- Rory Gallagher had 'no part' in celebrations following Ulster Championship win, Derry GAA insists
- Trust in GAA 'shaken' by Rory Gallagher controversy says former senior ladies' player
- Former Derry ladies player fears GAA culture has become 'toxic'
Thankfully, due to libel laws, most unfounded rumours tend to stay that way; however, they can be very distressing for those innocently on the receiving end of accusations.
All people are entitled to a private life, no matter how well they may or may not be known.
Nicola Gallagher, estranged wife of Rory Gallagher, took to Facebook to tell her story last week because she probably felt let down by the entire system.
Rory Gallagher is clearly good at what he does on a sports field in terms of coaching, managing and setting a team up. You don’t have to like him to appreciate the job he does with his teams.
I have, along with many others, praised him in this regard in the past.
What players operating at elite level want is a management team capable of taking both personal and collective success to fruition.
How they achieve this success has been, historically, a secondary consideration.
I accept that this is an extremely tough position for the Derry players to be in. They have a personal relationship with Gallagher, built up over the past few years and they have only experienced the side he wants them to see.
Yet, success or not, the Derry players have to accept this narrative. What if it was one of your own allegedly on the receiving end of abuse? There is no place in any sport for this.
For me, integrity is a fundamental characteristic – one of the cornerstones of management – when you are in a position of responsibility for young adults.
The fact that people close to Nicola Gallagher have come out in support of her and some are testifying to the veracity of her allegations against her former husband is damning.
I also suspect that this support was crucial in how Gallagher swiftly moved to initially ‘step aside’ from the manager’s position of Derry when it had appeared, at least early on, that this was not necessarily the first option.
I am not sure if there will be any way back in the game for Rory Gallagher from this. A permanent parting was the only option.
Anyone who knew of the accusations against Gallagher certainly has questions to answer.
There will have to be due process now.
This Derry team is a seriously good group, capable of winning an All-Ireland title.
Being ruthless about it, Gallagher’s association from a team perspective had to end immediately. The Oak Leaf players can now instead focus on the ‘on-field’ issues.
The GAA is a wonderful organisation that does so much good. There will be a range of different people in any organisation – but I don’t believe there is a
toxic culture ingrained in the association as has been suggested in some quarters in the wake of the controversy.
Whether Nicola Gallagher gets formal justice, I don’t know. But in the court of public opinion, I am sure she already has.
The best that come out of this entire episode now is that the children involved emerge emotionally unscathed. I feel for them most of all.
Derry and Armagh played out one of the best games of the year in the Ulster final.
Shane McGuigan, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Jarly óg Burns, Rian O’Neill, and Greg McCabe were all brilliant and what we witnessed was a province still at odds with the other three in terms of competitiveness.
Derry are back-to-back Ulster champions. Furthermore, the manner in which that was achieved was more impressive, after going two points in arrears heading into the last few minutes. To score three points under those circumstances highlights a real collective strength of character.
Ethan Rafferty, who was fantastic overall, found it difficult to find an Armagh player brave enough to take a pass from their own kick-outs heading into the stretch.
This was when Armagh were two points up. Had they been better in this one phase, the game was theirs. What they needed at that time was a long runner to either sideline with players fighting for break-ball.
Instead, Derry captain Conor Glass and then full-forward Shane McGuigan won kick-outs in central areas and could work the decisive points to reel Armagh in.
I go back to the small inches in every game that dictate results.
Penalties are penalties.Success in these are dependent on practice, luck and a natural ‘knack’ for it.
People may argue over the merits of this in terms of deciding a winner.
However, this rule is well established at this stage, so you play the cards you are dealt.
We now go into uncharted territory with group stages in both the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup.
Prepare yourself for matches which are good, bad... and downright ugly.
