The Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne, who is chair of Drogheda United, has said she did not see the individuals responsible for the damage to Dundalk FC’s new all-weather pitch during the game between the clubs on Friday.
The AstroTurf pitch at Oriel Park was being used for the first time, but was damaged after flares were thrown on to the surface by Drogheda FC fans during the game.
The indident led Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan to stop any further public funding for such synthetic pitches in the League of Ireland (LOI).
Speaking on Tuesday, O’Donovan said no public representative “could really go into hiding” over the events at Dundalk FC on Friday night.
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In what was taken as a reference to the Sinn Féin TD, who is also the party’s spokeswoman on sport, O’Donovan said it was “incumbent on people in positions of authority, and particularly spokespersons on sport, to make their views clear”.
“I’ve said what I’ve said, I think, look, Joanna Byrne can answer for Joanna Byrne, but I think that anybody who was there on the night and saw what I saw in a political context should condemn it,” he said.
“And I think, you know, if they don’t, their silence will speak volumes to be honest.”
Byrne declined to answer questions on Monday and Sinn Féin said she would not be issuing any statement on the issue.
However, she responded to The Irish Times on Tuesday in an email.
“I was at the match on Friday night and did see it all from a distance. Unfortunately, I was up in the main stand and not down on the terraces to see individuals first-hand,” she said.
“Our CEO met with Dundalk FC CEO this morning to further review. At this point I’m not aware of specific individuals identified, but I know both clubs are working collectively on that.
“On a personal level, there’s no condoning any of the actions of Friday night. What should have been a very proud night for Dundalk FC was tainted by these actions.
“I think any right-minded football supporter in the LOI would condemn this strongly, as do I.”
The LOI Premier Division game finished 1-1 after Drogheda scored a late equaliser in the Louth derby.
The Department of Sport said that in the 2020 and 2023 funding rounds, eight League of Ireland clubs had received funding allocations for AstroTurf pitches.
Of these, one allocation has been fully drawn down and a second allocation has drawn down 95 per cent of its funding. Of the remaining six clubs, one allocation is for a training pitch, not a main facility pitch.
The Department allocated €454,228 under the 2023 round to Dundalk for an AstroTurf pitch and floodlights. The estimated cost of the overall project, as supplied by Dundalk at the application stage, was €872,790.
Dundalk FC supplied quotes of €291,830 for the artificial pitch and €175,560 for floodlights at formal approval stage.
The department has to date reimbursed the club €152,452 towards the AstroTurf pitch, with €139,378 remaining to be paid. No payments have yet been requested for the floodlights, a spokesman said.
O’Donovan has said that no further funding would be allocated until the League of Ireland and the Football Association of Ireland convince him they have brought the problems seen at Dundalk last weekend under control.
Labour TD Duncan Smith has criticised O’Donovan over his withdrawal of funding for pitches.
Speaking in the Dáil the Dublin Fingal East TD called for a debate on football because of the “vengeful, over-the-top collective punishment response” of the Minister to the issue.
He said O’Donovan’s reaction “betrays an anti-football bias in the Minister which I hope is not reflected in the Government and we need a debate on it”.
