Wicklow GAA Chiefs Throw The Book At Brawling Clubs

A Wicklow Championship quarter-final between Rathnew and Carnew Emmets at Echelon Park was marred by a fight which broke out on the terrace in Aughrim.

A mass brawl which erupted near the end of a recent Wicklow senior football championship quarter-final, and subsequently viewed online in droves has seen the two clubs involved punished for the shameful scenes.

Footage online featured a fight breaking out on the terrace at Echelon Park in Aughrim as Rathnew and Carnew Emmets met recently on August 30th.

The incident, which involved several spectators as well as players and officials, took place for a minute or so before order was restored, with some joining the fray from afar.

A quintet of Rathnew players have now been reprimanded, with bans ranging anywhere from three years to five years handed down, with at least one player sidelined for five years.

Both clubs also issued with significant fines with the two clubs having a right of appeal against their punishments.

Neither Rathnew GAA Club nor Carnew Emmets GAA Club have officially commented while Wicklow county board officials are keeping their powder dry also on the matter.

The Wicklow County Chairman Damien Byrne did however tell the Wicklow People.

“The deliberations will be sent to clubs by the CCC disciplinary (commitee).

He added that:

“It is only right to let the clubs digest and deal with these matters internally, and no one in the GAA organisation condones this sort of behaviour. But I would ask that clubs are given time to deal with this situation.”

The exact length of bans, the numbers punished, and the precise nature of the offences that were sanctioned was not revealed by the county board.