THE footballers of Gort Na Mona GAC, Belfast became a social media hit for their classy act of sportsmanship after losing last weekend’s Intermediate final to St Enda’s Glengormley at Corrigan Park.
After several weeks of negative publicity following a series of pitch fights at GAA matches, the west Belfast club drew warm praise from Ulster and further afield for giving their conquerors St Enda’s an impromptu guard of honour as they made their way off the field.
After missing out on the silverware, Gort na Mona manager Sean McKenna asked his players to applaud the winners as it was the Glengormley club’s first-ever title at senior level.
“When the match ended, I had it in my head, regardless of us losing the final, it was St Enda’s first senior title. And as much as we want to feel down about it, it was a big occasion for them,” McKenna explained.
“In fairness, when we had a huddle at the end of the match not one player was against giving the St Enda’s players a guard of honour. As soon as I mentioned it everybody was in agreement, they were happy to do it.
“To be honest, we didn’t do it to get praise or anything like that. I had a conversation with Niall Enright [Gort Na Mona committee member] the next day, when everything had quietened down, and he said the players’ guard of honour was spreading like wildfire on social media and that it was a brilliant gesture.”
The Turf Lodge club was aiming to win their first intermediate title in 15 years but were pipped by a superior St Enda’s side, managed by former Antrim manager Frank Fitzsimons.
McKenna assisted Fitzsimons for a season with Antrim and recognised his friend and St Enda’s historic achievement.
“The Gort na Mona club is full of people who would recognise that kind of gesture,” McKenna added.
“Gort na Mona are an unbelievable club – right through from their juvenile teams to senior; they have camogie, handball, everything.
“Reaching the Intermediate final galvanised a lot of support around the club and the U14s were playing in a final the next day and there was a big crowd at that too.”
Like many GAA members, McKenna has been miffed at the amount of attention afforded to some GAA matches where fighting has broken out, most notably the Ballyholland versus Downpatrick game where the trouble moved into the carpark before order was restored.
“It’s too easy for people to fire these incidents of fighting up on social media,” said the O’Donovan Rossa clubman.
“People are able to film these incidents on their mobile phones, but anybody in the GAA knows that it’s not a true reflection.
“How many matches are going on around the country on any given day? There are thousands of games being played.”
McKenna’s mother passed away a few weeks ago and he was moved by the kindness shown by the Dunloy club after a recent game.
“We won the game by scoring an injury-time goal and three of the Dunloy players came over to me at the end of the game; they didn’t mention the football match, they wanted to pay their condolences. That’s really what the GAA is about.
“It would be good if there was a hashtag [on social media] that celebrates all the good things the GAA does because it outweighs the negative stuff one million to one.”
Meanwhile, Gort na Mona will put the disappointment of losing an intermediate final aside on Saturday afternoon by trying to win promotion to Division One if they beat hosts Moneyglass (2.30pm).
