MAYO GAA star Rob Hennelly has spoken for the first time about the vicious online abuse he received in the wake of the 2016 All-Ireland final defeat.
Speaking about the aftermath of conceding a penalty and receiving a black card in the 2016 final replay against Dublin, Hennelly last night said he "wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy".
In an interview with RTÉ Prime Time, the inter-county goalkeeper described how the agony of coming to terms with a one-point defeat to Dublin, as Mayo were bidding for their first title in 65 years, was compounded by social media abuse.
"I've had stuff that I wouldn’t repeat said about me…you'd wonder how people even think of saying those things it's that kind of outrageous," he said.
During the programme, Blood, Sweat and Online Smears, which examined abuse towards GAA players, commentators and referees from online trolls, Hennelly described how the "conversations become very often, very personalised and probably due to the lack of regulation on Twitter and stuff".
"It's very anonymous as well," he said.
"So, people get away with a lot on these platforms and as such, it becomes quite a dark place from time to time in relation to GAA.
"From the experiences I have had of abuse online, it’s not something that I like to talk about that much now and it's more so because it’s something I've dealt with it, I put it in its place, but that's said at the time it was something I found very difficult to deal with."
After the online attacks, Hennelly restricted his use of social media.
"It’s kind of something that that I’ve detached myself from a lot because it offers very little to you as a player, whether it's positive or negative feedback," he added.
"I realise that I just can’t control it. It doesn’t add anything to my life and as much as possible I cut it out."
GAA president Larry McCarthy also told the programme about his concerns about the issue of online abuse.
"I’m worried about the abuse that people take and get as members of the GAA," he said.
"There's a broader problem here. Will people continue to volunteer for a voluntary sports organization if this level of abuse continues?
"Logically, you would say no, and it's going to impinge on our ability to deliver hurling and football in clubs around the country."
