A very recent case in point, of course, was the deplorable comments arrowed in the direction of Anthony Casey.

In response to the tripe he had to contend with, particularly via social media, the Kiskeam man’s tweet highlighting that he had made a mistake but that ‘I’m human’ probably scratched at a developing itch in GAA terms.

Made a mistake! Im human! I go to college, work and do everything that every amateur footballer does! Thanks for the support! #alwaysarebel

— Anthony Casey (@AnthonyCasey3) May 2, 2016

Have we reached the point whereby too much is expected of these people?

It’s one thing to whisper under your breath in the stands ‘G’way ya eejit’ if you see an error.

However, it’s quite another for individuals to ridicule a player directly.

After all, who’s to say that player would not be impacted long-term by what is aimed at them, especially if they are young adults finding their way in the world as Casey is?

Obviously, the overwhelming support for Casey in the days after Mayo’s EirGrid All-Ireland U21 FC success was refreshing.

We all know that there is only a small minority capable of such idiocy.

Yet, it is not the first time a player has been subjected to such vitriol and, unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely to be the last time.

However, maybe it’s more than just the players that need guarding from excessive criticism.

Take Diarmuid Kirwan as the latest case in point.

Not so much through social media, obviously, but the criticism of his error not to award Waterford a free last Sunday after Jamie Barron was clearly fouled probably went a little too far as well.

Kirwan’s mistake was the talk of the town on Sunday evening and his blushes were hardly spared by even ex-players working in the media on the day in Thurles.

John Mullane, for example, said Kirwan “lost the plot” and had “questions to answer” live on RTÉ Radio 1.

Now, as a Waterford man he is absolutely entitled to feel aggrieved at how those final moments played out in Semple Stadium.

However, how would Mullane and countless others have felt if the referee was their brother or father, for instance?

Or how would those that hammered Casey have felt if he was their brother, or son, or nephew?

Don’t get me wrong, in my days on the terraces I would have been the first to vent frustrations towards a player or referee for a screw-up.

However, even back then, it was only ever from afar and hardly detrimental in any way to the subject of such negative soundings.

You know how it is, everybody has done it.

Nevertheless, presently, these occurrences are becoming too frequent and personal.

Ditto for managers struggling to facilitate the progression of the team they are presiding over.

At both club and inter-county level too many hurlers on the pitch are being excessively harsh of people at the coal face of the Association.

In a day and age where mental health is one of the most important issues in society – new Government, truly take note – is it really acceptable for our own GAA people to have to encounter the type of criticisms that could lead to something more than just wanting to bury their heads in the sand for a day or two?

After all, what do we really know about these people’s lives away from what we see of them from the side of a pitch or on the TV?

For all we know they could be going through tough times in their personal lives and therefore could really do without listening to some randomer slamming their sporting input on top of it.

Even for characters like Mullane himself and Davy Fitzgerald, some of the comments they have heard during the years were shameful.

But thanking God for small mercies, at least after the matches they conceded tweeting them such thoughts was out of the question.

The more ‘professional’ the GAA gets it seems people are finding it easier and easier to forget that players, managers and match officials are your average Joe Soaps at the end of the day.

And it’s pathetic that they need protecting against the same people that should know better.

With that in mind, it was vitally important that Derek McGrath answered journalists’ questions on the matter of Kirwan’s call with such class.

Inside, McGrath was probably fuming.

Still, he pointed out “we make enough mistakes ourselves on the line”.

And that, in all of this argument, is the most pertinent point, seeing the bigger picture.

Those venting their anger at individuals for one reason or another might head in to work the next day or be out on the field themselves and make the most monumental of screw-ups.

Nobody intentionally errors in sport, or in life for that matter.

People would do well to remember that.

As Casey reminded us, they’re only human.