WHEN ATHLETICS PUNDIT Jerry Kiernan questioned the fitness of the country’s Gaelic footballers, said they didn’t deserve government grants and said the sport was basic, he sparked a massive reaction.

The interview on Off The Ball in midweek saw lots of players and figures in Gaelic games respond just as strongly to the Kerryman’s comments.

Today, former Laois star, Colm Parkinson had his say.

“I remember I was on here and I called Micko a bluffer,” Parkinson told Ger Gilroy on Newstalk earlier. “He was on a panel the following week and I was driving back down to Dublin and I got a text to turn on Newstalk. Not that I don’t listen to Newstalk all the time.

“But he was like: who is this Colm Parkinson? Who is this person? And I was like who is this Jerry Kiernan? So I’ve kind of had his card marked ever since. So when he was on the other night I could hear Eoin saying ‘Jerry whatever’ but I didn’t know who it was. And then I found out it was Jerry Kiernan and I was like ‘oh, my God. This bloody muppet’.

“I obviously wouldn’t have much time for him because I’ve seen him on the Olympics — he’s a know-all. He doesn’t come across as a pundit. He can’t even banter with Bill [O'Herlihy]. Bill might try to play devil’s advocate with him, you know like he does. And he just shoots Bill down like he’s an absolute numpty. I can’t listen to him.”

He continued: “He’s an angry man. Anyone from Kerry that hates football you have to wonder about them. I’ve met loads of people from Kerry that would be into music — even drugs — and they all love football.”

Check out the discussion when it goes up on playback here>

President leads tributes to late broadcaster Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin

In Pics: All-Ireland club semi-finals