Naomh Colmcille’s community spirit involved in raising funds for a man in need with a charity soccer tournament has been lost in the furore over their sanction, according to clubman Brendan Devenney.
News emerged that Newtowncunningham-based club were hit with a two-month suspension after allowing one of their pitches to be used for the event in aid of local man Paul Dillon back in February, who has been diagnosed with motor neuron disease.
Donegal County Board insist the club isn’t suspended, but that "the findings of an investigation has recommended suspension for eight weeks – this is the minimum period of suspension for holding an unauthorised tournament"
The sanction came under Rule 6.40 of the GAA’s Official Guide, which covers the holding of tournament games as it was deemed that they had hosted an ‘unauthorised tournament’.
Devenney participated in the tournament and isn’t surprised at the reaction.
"We have a habit in the GAA of going completely nuts about headlines, particularly when there is no football on. Stories seem to gather legs," Devenney told 2fm’s Game On.
"This is a very unusual situation which has come up. I don’t know if the first request that came up was for hosting a tournament. It didn’t say it was a GAA tournament. That might have been the small issue at the start."
The former Donegal player says the narrative around the story needs to change for a man who is a pillar of his community.
"Paul is an amazing man. We grew up around the same time, played football together," he said.
"He married his long-time girlfriend Emma and has three beautiful daughters and was then hit with this terrible news.
"We can’t lose the great sporting event that that was"
"What happened from that was the coming together of a community. It was driven because he was such a loved character. €85,000 was raised in a small community.
"At that tournament there were people from all over the place who got behind it. It’s kind of being lost in all this furore. We can’t lose the great sporting event that that was. We need to get that news story out."
Dillon himself has called on common sense within the GAA to prevail.
"Hopefully the ban will be overturned and people will do the right thing," he told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
"I’d like to see a bit of common sense about the whole thing."
