Clare statement fails to clarify claims of ‘numerous inaccuracies’ in media reports

As a statement of clarification it could hardly have been any less clear, the Clare hurling management and players claiming “numerous inaccuracies” surrounding last week’s departure of panel members Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell – although without addressing what exactly those inaccuracies are.

So the matter, according to the statement signed by Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald, two of his selectors, and his two co-captains, “is now closed”. It may well be, for now, and yet the question of why O’Halloran and O’Connell felt subjected to “humiliating double-standard” punishment has not gone away.

Fitzgerald, interestingly, had already indicated that he would be making no further comment, claiming after Saturday’s Allianz Hurling League win over Dublin that the matter was already closed. There was, however, increasing pressure for a more formal response, which came in the short statement released on Wednesday evening by the Clare county board, after the players and management had met to discuss the matter at training in Sixmilebridge on St Patrick’s Day .

The statement in full read as follows:

“The Clare senior hurling panel and management have met on the recent disciplinary issues that have been aired in the public domain. All involved are happy that the matter was dealt with fairly.

“While there are numerous inaccuracies reported in the media, on social media and in a former player’s statement, the matter is now closed and we, as a group, are happy to move forward, united and to continue to enjoy working hard for Clare hurling.”

It was signed on behalf of the players by Pat Donnellan and Cian Dillon (the Clare joint-captains for 2015), and also by Michael Browne (on behalf of team management), Fitzgerald (on behalf of team management), and Louis Mulqueen (on behalf of team management).

The reference to "a former player's statement" was that of O'Halloran, as told to The Irish Times last Friday evening, in which he outlined the range of punishments handed down to himself and O'Connell – both part of Clare's All-Ireland winning panel in 2013 – after they were caught on a night out, while injured, although not actually drinking. O'Halloran had actually been sidelined for the previous five weeks due to a hamstring complaint.

Part of that punishment, according to O’Halloran, meant not being allowed access to the team changing rooms, forced to tog out separately, and being prevented from wearing the panel’s gear to training; he was also unable to be involved in matches or travel to them, no dialogue was allowed with other team mates at sessions, and he was made to train alone in a corner of the pitch doing intensive physical work.

Still, by avoiding any actually clarification on these “numerous inaccuracies”, the Clare statement fell short of clarifying what exactly O’Halloran was inaccurate about: he had also claimed that he felt particularly aggrieved by the punishment when realising that a fellow, but more senior, member of the squad was exempt from similar sanctions, despite what they considered a more serious breach.

Both players also penned a letter explaining their reasons for leaving, handing it to one of the team’s joint captains to read out in the dressing room. The letter is then claimed to have been ripped up by Fitzgerald, who did not read it out.

Fitzgerald did address this question of double-standards in the immediate aftermath of last Saturday’s league game, claiming it “110 per cent didn’t happen”. He also said that that “in Clare, we do things properly . . . there is a code of discipline and that we as a management would be very fair in what we do. There are rules there, that’s it. And listen, I am very, very happy that we have done everything correct and I know the players are as well, that they are very happy with that as well”.

In the meantime it also emerged that the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) would themselves be investigating the matter, given the nature of the punishment as claimed made by O’Halloran, although that process wasn’t yet underway. The GAA also declined to comment on any potential investigation on their behalf, unless there was an official complaint made to them.

The Clare hurlers will move swiftly on as they face All-Ireland champions Kilkenny in Nowlan Park on Sunday, needing a victory to keep alive any chance of avoiding the relegation play-off – which would also be against Kilkenny.