Perhaps there’s a difference between singling a player out to boo his every touch of the ball and trying to put someone off from hitting a free, but as the old proverb goes: a boo is a boo is a boo.
Some Roscommon fans were copping a bit of flak for the boos that were heard in Croke Park on Sunday every time Andy Moran got a touch of the ball.
It was said that, being from the border parish of Ballaghaderreen where the town sits in Roscommon for over a century now but the club plays in Mayo for longer, he’s the subject of a bit of abuse from the Rossies because of the close proximity he has with them and, frankly, the undeniable passion he has for Mayo.
Even in an FBD Insurance League game at the start of the year, Andy Moran kissed the crest on his green and red jersey as the Roscommon faithful were left reeling after his goal.
He’s a Mayo man and when they come as great as Moran, that’s got to hurt.
He didn’t seem too bothered by the boos that were heard in headquarters during the All-Ireland quarter-final but some people were outraged that we’d hear this in our games.
Even Roscommon themselves released a brilliantly classy statement condemning the boos, a move which really summed up the respect and nobility true Gaels have.
However, some supporters of the yellow and blue weren’t happy that the media coverage this week honed in on the abuse of Moran when they argued that it worked both ways.
Also very disappointed to hear Mayo fans boo every Ros free taker especially Donie Smith. A bit of balance Eamonn maybe.
— MC (@mcrossie10) August 1, 2017
And, in such a horrifyingly pressure situation in the 74th minute of the game at headquarters, Donie Smith didn’t just have to deal with the weight of being a point down with time running out, or the angle, the distance and the elements, he also had to block out the boos which were directed at him as he lined up one of the finest equalising set pieces Croke Park has ever seen.
Captured by All GAA, the boos were loud and aggressive as Smith prepared for the shot.
Watch that amazing kick and the attempts to put him off again below at the end of the official highlights.
WHAT A NAILBITER! Here's the GAANOW full-time highlights from @MayoGAA v @RoscommonGAA #MAYvROS pic.twitter.com/JtAw05DoET
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 30, 2017
You hear this sound in every ground in Ireland for all of these types of kicks. It’s not exactly a lovely gesture but you’re not going to stop a county wanting to put someone off.
It’s just worth noting that there were two sides but, honestly, let’s just get on with our lives because who really cares?
