‘If someone puts their finger in your mouth, what are you gonna do, blow it out?’

Meath should bite their tongue and forget about the incident

Quote of the weekend goes, hands down (so to speak), to Tyrone player-turned-pundit Owen Mulligan.

Near the end of the discussion on The Sunday Game last night about that incident from yesterday's demolition by Dublin of Meath – which apparently involved a member of the hungrier team biting off more than he should chew – Mugsy asked: "If someone puts their finger in your mouth, what are you gonna do, blow it out?"

Brilliant.

The controversy began when Meath manager Mick O’Dowd returned to the Croke Park press conference yesterday evening to inform the room that: “I’ve just come back to the dressingroom after speaking to you and I see the doctor dealing with his (Mickey Burke’s) finger. He’s gone to the Dublin dressing-room to talk to the Dublin doctor because there’s a protocol to deal with in terms of a bite, in terms of blood transferring from one person to another. Extremely disappointed.”

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When Jim Gavin was asked a few minutes later about the biting allegation, he – understandably enough – answered: "This game? Well I don't know anything about that. That's news to me!"

The reason he had to ask “this game?” was, of course, because this is the third biting controversy involving Dublin football since Gavin took over as boss less than two years ago. (we’d make a comparison with a high-profile biting incident involving another sport, but we can’t think of any.)

Regardless, though, it seems strange that Meath would want to draw attention to an incident in which they were the obvious aggressors.

The finger (ermm, you know what we mean) is being pointed at Dublin forward Eoghan O’Gara, but it’s clear that he was the victim in the brawl that occurred near the end of the game.

If they have any common sense at all, Meath should bite their tongue and forget about the incident.

They’re not out of the championship.

They have another bite of the cherry.

Sorry.

DUBLIN LORDING IT

Meanwhile, even Dublin City Council couldn’t stop the Dublin footballers from performing in Croke Park at the moment.

Their last five matches at GAA headquarters (it is not, as some fans seem to think, Dublin headquarters) have all yielded big victories.

While the “home” side only defeated Cork by seven points in the league semi-final in April, remember they were eight points down at half-time – in the second half, Dublin scored 2-13 to Cork’s four points.

Since then, it’s been one-way traffic.

Jim Gavin’s championship record as manager – since been appointed in October 2012 – stands at. Played: 9. Won: 9.

WEXFORD’S EXTENDED SUMMER

What a few weeks for hurling folk in Wexford.

Whatever happens in Thurles next weekend, this has surely been (another) breakthrough season for the county.

Between the more than three hours of hurling needed to dethrone 2013 All-Ireland champions Clare, the county retained their Leinster under-21 crown in an action-packed seven days.

Through to the All-Ireland senior hurling quarter-finals for the first time since 2008 (they haven't played senior hurling in August since losing to Kilkenny in 2007), the county that were an after-thought at the start of the year when bookmakers and pundits were pointing to the usual suspects, will bring a huge crowd to Thurles next weekend for their clash with Limerick.

Liam MacCarthy Cup champions 2014
(Odds at start of year, followed by odds now)
Kilkenny 11/4 > 11/10
Tipperary 7/2 > 4/1
Clare 4/1 > Out
Cork 11/2 > 9/4
Dublin 15/2 > 20/1
Galway 9/1 > Out
Limerick 10/1 > 11/1
Waterford 30/1 > Out
Offaly 100/1 > Out
Wexford 100/1 > 18/1

TWITTER TWADDLE

Darren Clarke @clarkie2015
Embarrassing #LeinsterFinal #Dubsareawesome

Colm Cooper @colmcooper13
Some 3 weeks for Wexford hurlers and there supporters.the adventure keeps going #Momentum

Redmond Barry @ReddBarry
Ulster dung. Be better off all going and taking up UFC. Rarely see foot blocks given anymore.

Paul McGrath @Paulmcgrath5
Well done to the DUBS on beating Meath in the Leinster Senior Football Final at Croker today .. Who needs Garth Brooks #upthedubs

TheLoneStriker @MYWIFEFIBS
There's currently a sport being shown on Sky Sports 3 which is quite simply the biggest 2 fingers to health & safety in the history of sport

Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen is Health & Family Editor of The Irish Times