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Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the 12-week suspension of Dublin’s senior soccer director Dessie Farrell has “no big impact.”
The Dublin coach received a 12-week suspension from the Dublin GAA County Board on Thursday after a group of Dublin footballers were caught training in violation of Covid-19 Level 5 regulations.
Kenny said he believed the story revealed by The Irish Independent earlier this week was “an April Fool joke” while speaking on the Late Late Show.
“I thought it was an April Fools joke coming out on April Fools Day, but the thing is, there was no excuse for this. These are superlative players from one of the best teams in history. Five, six, seven or eight All-Irelands or whatever and the young should be able to admire [them]”.
Mr. Kenny noted that the training session took place the day after GAA issued a reminder to county boards that any violation of current restrictions would put the plan to return to business in serious jeopardy.
The inter-county GAA will resume on April 19.
“Someone made that decision; Someone said to come back to the court at 7 am, we are going to train. That’s 12 hours after the GAA issued its ultimatum.
“So, you want to be really tough on this, and I know Dessie, we did a great job together when he was in the GPA, but you have to set standards here.
“Giving an eight or 10 week suspension when there is no game doesn’t have a huge impact,” Kenny said.
The GAA issued a statement Thursday expressing its “frustration and extreme disappointment” over the situation and said it will “pursue the allegations” at the earliest opportunity and invoke “any necessary disciplinary process” as appropriate.
On the other hand, Kenny also ruled himself out of running for president of Ireland, when asked about the prospect.
“It’s very clear to me. I used to enjoy visiting President McAleese and President Higgins in Áras an Úachtarán because you had to go there and give them an update on events in the house.
“After my years in politics, there is always a life in advance and I always look to the next horizon and it is not in Áras an Úachtarán. I’m absolutely clear on that, ”Kenny said.
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