GAA president O’ Neill denies Davy’s drug abuse suggestion
GAA president Liam O’ Neill has refuted suggestions by Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald of drug abuse among a small minority of hurlers in the county before Fitzgerald took over.
The All-Ireland winning manager said that some Clare players were “taking harder stuff than drink” before he took charge in 2011.
Fitzgerald made the comments in addressing hundreds of students at Limerick Institute of Technology as part of a physical and mental health seminar yesterday.
“We brought in a code of discipline. From the mid-2000s, in Clare, my feeling was that Clare was a social team. I know some of them were even taking harder stuff than drink.
“I couldn’t understand this. To me I play to win, and if you are doing stuff like that, you’re wasting your time,” said Fitzgerald.
He also commended last year’s victorious team for effectively abstaining from alcohol in order to win the All-Ireland.
O’ Neill however has challenged the idea that there is a problem with alcohol and drugs in the GAA; citing the All-Star trip to Asia last year that he was part of as evidence to support his view, according to the Irish Independent.
“I asked them about their lifestyle and they said that there was no room for drink or any other substances in their lives,” said O’ Neill.
“I was terribly impressed by them and I think the modern young hurler now just doesn’t take the chance. I don’t think any young man serious about sport would take any substances,” he added.
Fitzgerald’s remarks on alcohol and drugs were only part of his address at LIT, where he also spoke about the highs and lows of sport and of being bullied in school.
He revealed how two of the lowest moments of his managerial career, the 2008 All-Ireland final loss to Kilkenny and a heavy defeat to Tipperary in the 2011 Munster final, affected him.
“We’re getting beaten (by) 30 points by Kilkenny; absolutely hammering us. You can’t (hide) any place. I’ll never forget coming up to the dressing room afterwards, the boys were gone. I actually fell to my knees…I balled out crying. I was in a bad way after it.
“I couldn’t believe that one minute I was up so high and the next minute I was down (so low),” he said.
After the 7-19 to 0-19 Munster final defeat to Tipperary, he was struck by Waterford supporters as he made his way to the dressing room, he added.
