Mayo football, Donald Trump, Brexit… some topics just cannot be kept out of the news in 2016.
The defeated 2016 All-Ireland football finalists have been lingering at the top of the GAA news cycle since they parted ways with Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly more than 14 months ago.
There was the appointment of Stephen Rochford, the erratic form and defensive schemings in the Allianz League under Rochford, losing their Connacht title after more than half a decade, becoming the poster boys for Free to Air football as their qualifier run was broadcast almost exclusively on Sky Sports.
Then things kicked into overdrive with Aidan O’Shea’s alleged dive, the campaign against Lee Keegan, the All-Ireland final draw, the dropping of David Clarke, Rob Hennelly’s blunder, eventual defeat and a host of classy statements.
Excuse me if anything has been omitted, but this past season in Mayo football has been more eventful than an episode of ‘Hollyoaks: After Hours’.
Now, just when you thought, with Castlebar Mitchels elimination from the club championship, it was time for a Mayo news hiatus, back comes the Ghost of Purges Past.
Former Mayo defender and rattler of Peter Harte’s bones, Tom Cunniffe has come out in defence of Holmes and Connelly, telling The Irish Independent that the players treated the deposed joint managers badly when they forced them out back in Ocotber 2015.
“We treated them badly. They should never have had to resign. They deserved a lot better,” said Cunniffe, who previously played under Holmes for his club Castlebar Mitchels.
“I believe our decision was rash. I felt we should have had a few leaders meet Pat and Noel and go through the various issues that had been raised at the first two meetings. I would have much preferred that,” he added.
Cunniffe does not expect his opinions to be warmly received by some former team-mates but, now based in New York, he feels he is at a safe remove to give his opinion on the display of player power.
Interestingly, he admits he initially voted in favour of removing the pair but had misgivings as the process dragged on.
His view that the pair were treated poorly runs contrary to the account of Aidan O’Shea, who early this year stated that the players were aware of Holmes and Connelly’s feelings and did everything in their power to lessen the blow.
“It was never anything personal towards Noel and Pat. And we were 100 per cent worried about how it would affect them personally. We talked about that as a group and gave them the opportunity to walk away on their own terms. It was a very draining couple of weeks for all involved and it wasn’t nice,” recalled O’Shea.
Purges are rarely pretty, but it doesn’t help when the story just won’t go away.
Michael Lundy joins Wooly for a wide-ranging discussion that starts with a chat about Ger Loughnane, dodgy transfers and Davy Fitzgerald’s training methods. Subscribe here on iTunes.
