Following the huge success of their podcasts exposing the on-going 'GAA Catfish' scam, Tipperary comedy duo The 2 Johnnies have slammed social media companies.
Last Monday, Johnny B and Johnny Smacks aired a third episode about the controversy, which has seen a number of fake social media profiles deceiving inter-county GAA footballers, as well as Johnny B himself.
The latest show has now been streamed over two million times worldwide and the duo have since been contacted by local TDs, the gardaí and other victims of the scam.
Speaking during an interview on Friday’s Late Late Show GAA Special on RTÉ One, Johnny Smacks said, "We would say to people, be safe online because the social media companies need to do more.
"They’re making billions and they don't give a sh*** about people. They need to do more."
He also praised the Gaelic Players Association’s reaction to the controversy. "Fair play, the GPA contacted all of their members today to warn them."
The 2 Johnnies opened Friday’s celebration of all things GAA with a rendition of their song When I Play For The County, alongside flag-beating members of the Junior B All-Stars.
Really is only one way to open the GAA Special and that's with @the2johnnies #latelate pic.twitter.com/UrEUGDJDtK
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) January 17, 2025
The pair have long been involved in their local GAA club, with Johnny Smacks playing for his local junior team, and they appeared on the Late Late to talk about their love of the game alongside GAA pundit and former Kerry footballer Pat Spillane.
Asked about the Cahir team’s success last year and whether it was down to "coaching or the full forward," Johnny Smacks said, "Fellas often tell me I do my best hurling without the ball. We got there in the end. This is only a medal now; we didn’t win the county.
"I met a woman recently and she told me that she’s not letting her husband back to play with us next year and I said 'was it the injuries, was it the training . . .?’ 'No,’ she said 'It was the celebrating. I can’t have him out that much!’"
As well as their successful podcast and their own RTÉ TV show, the duo, who left RTÉ 2fm last year, frequently tour Australia and they’re bringing their Pints in a Field show to St Anne’s Park in Dublin this summer as well as headlining the Farmer’s Bash Weekender in Belfast in August - but it all started for them one fateful night in their local GAA club.
"One of our first times ever on stage was to host the local GAA’s Strictly Come Dancing," recalled Johnny B. "And I have to say that our new club chairman in Cahir is Johnny Smacks so there is going to be one hell of a lot of fundraising going on this year.
"At all our gigs, we put a QR code on the big screen so everyone buys a ticket to the Cahir club raffle so whenever we have a gig, the raffle ticket sales go up but if it’s won by someone outside of town, there’s fecking war!"
"The night we hosted that Strictly event, our own club didn’t want us to do it," added Johnny Smacks. "They were like 'no, we should get Gerry Duffy. He’s a safe pair of hands’. But we did it and the first night we stepped on stage together was all thanks to the GAA."
Johnny B also revealed that he is taking a break from playing with his local junior team this year. "I'm going to try and help Johnny and the lads on the sidelines," he said.
"Anyone who gets a chance to play for their local club, it’s amazing and if anyone out there is thinking of putting their kids into GAA, do it. I have friends from 17 to 70 who love it and have the craic."
You can watch Friday's Late Late Show on the RTÉ Player
