KERRY CAPTAIN KIERAN Donaghy sent a message of goodwill to Slaughtneil’s Christopher Bradley for the shoulder tackle which may rule the Derry club player out of the AIB All-Ireland club final on St Patrick’s Day.
Bradley broke his collarbone following Donaghy’s tackle during the closing stages of Slaughtneil’s one-point win over Austin Stacks in the All-Ireland semi-final in Portlaoise on 15 February.
Since then Bradley has attended an oxygen chamber in Larne and also travelled to Ipswich in England for treatment. but Slaughtneil’s assistant manager, John Joe Kearney, has admitted they “aren’t hopeful” he will be fit to face Corofin in the decider.
Kearney, who had initially been critical of the tackle, last night praised Donaghy for making contact with Bradley.
“To be fair to Kieran Donaghy he went to the bother of getting a number for Sammy (Bradley) and sent a text and said ‘Look, no hard feelings, sorry you ended up the way you did but the hit was there and I took it.’
“It was very commendable that he did that and we appreciated it. In fact, I would nearly need to text him back and say ‘sorry, I accused you in the wrong!’
“I spoke out of context after the game because although it looked like a really heavy tackle, but when I watched it back, it was shoulder to shoulder.
“It was just a case of little versus large, but it was quite within the rules of the game. So I send him my apologies. It was a big hit but it was a fair hit.”
Here’s another look at the challenge.
http://vine.co/v/OP9TxUF5bLA