GER BRENNAN HAS revisited the suspension saga which sidelined him for half of the Championship, and which still has two League games to run, claiming there were ‘dark arts’ at play and that he was ‘collateral damage’, with the Association ultimately ‘brought into disrepute’.
The Dublin manager discussed the ban in an interview earlier this month, confirming that there was no hope of him avoiding the two-match sideline ban for the start of the 2027 Division 2 League campaign.
In fresh comments on the matter, ahead of this evening’s ‘Throw in for FOCUS’ charity game between Dublin and Meath at Parnell Park, Brennan furthered that ‘if a Martian came down and looked at what happened, it doesn’t make sense’.
Brennan was hit with a 12-week suspension, costing him four Championship games, after an altercation with Galway’s strength and conditioning coach Cian Breathnach McGinn in the last round of this year’s National League.
Because Dublin’s campaign concluded that day, he still has a two-game suspension to serve in the same competition, bringing his punishment into 2027 despite already missing all the 2026 Leinster SFC and an All-Ireland series game.
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?!” said a frustrated Brennan, who took umbrage at the lighter eight-week suspension for Galway’s McGinn, who initially made contact with Dublin player Brian Howard before Brennan clashed with him.
“Mine was the 12 weeks, plus the two games,” said Brennan. “For his one, obviously it’s okay to touch a player.”
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Ger Brennan and Cian Breathnach McGinn with referee Fergal Kelly. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
When it was suggested that public opinion seemed to favour Brennan, in terms of the punishment not fitting the crime, the former Dublin defender shrugged.
“It’s so nonsensical that if a Martian came down and looked at what happened, it doesn’t make sense,” said Brennan. “So it’s the Association that has been brought into disrepute by the behaviour of others in the background.”
The GAA was contacted and offered a right of reply, but stated that it will be making no comment.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness escaped any sanction after appearing to shove Kerry player Diarmuid O’Connor during their All-Ireland SFC encounter in Killarney in May.
Brennan referenced that incident when asked again about the outstanding League ban, and how he will miss their Round 1 and 2 ties in early 2027.
“That’s the rule,” he said. “The infraction that I was put down for was the worst of the worst infraction, that was what I was put down for, compared to the other guy who was involved in the altercation, and obviously what didn’t happen 10 weeks later in Killarney.
“So, again, a lot of political dark arts went on behind the scenes, which I was collateral damage, I would say. But there’s no mechanism for me to, within the current rule book, to become available for the first two League games, so I am suspended for the first two League games, yeah.”
Brennan reiterated that the toughest part of his suspension during the summer was being prevented from mentoring a local underage team.
“It’s been well documented at this stage, it was such a severe suspension, with a lot of political games that went on in the background, maybe there’s a book in it in decades to come, I don’t know, but there’s people who came out worse than I did, from the whole thing, in terms of how they carried themselves, without having to mention names,” he said.
“Ultimately I was disappointed that I had let the players and the management teams down, but on a human level, as a father, I was deeply disturbed by the Association and the rules that are in place to ban somebody being involved in kids teams, for the incident I was involved in. So a whole lot of learnings there.”
On his football plans for 2027, Brennan confirmed that defender Eoin Murchan will definitely be back.
The 2019 All-Ireland final replay goalscorer, 30, started all of Dublin’s League games but suffered a ‘freakish’ hamstring injury during a sideline collision with an official during their Leinster SFC opener with Wicklow. He didn’t feature again in the Championship and only made one substitute appearance for his club Na Fianna in the Dublin SFC afterwards.
“He’s really mad to go again, I’ll be honest, which is great because of his experience and skill set,” said Brennan of Murchan.
Eoin Murchan, pictured in Croke Park this summer. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The Dublin manager also discussed making Niall Scully a central part of his attack, freeing the player up to rekindle his best form and to win a second All-Star.
“I’d marked Niall for St Vincent’s in Parnell Park against the Dublin U-21s,” said Brennan. “St Vincent’s were doing well, preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final I think, and Niall absolutely skinned me at centre-forward. That memory was kind of in my head, ‘God, this fella can play’.
“With the new rules, and the three up, and the desire to want to kick the ball forward more, and Niall’s skill set, and that memory I had, it was a sense of ‘Okay, let’s give him a go in a more central role’. He flourished.”
*****
• The ‘Staycity Presents: Throw in for FOCUS’ charity game between Dublin and Meath selections takes place at 7.30pm at Parnell Park this evening. Every ticket sold, and every donation goes directly towards the Focus Ireland ‘No child without a home’ campaign. See throwinforfocus.ie for details.
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Ger Brennan claims 'political dark arts' played a role in his 12-week suspension
GER BRENNAN HAS revisited the suspension saga which sidelined him for half of the Championship, and which still has two League games to run, claiming there were ‘dark arts’ at play and that he was ‘collateral damage’, with the Association ultimately ‘brought into disrepute’.
The Dublin manager discussed the ban in an interview earlier this month, confirming that there was no hope of him avoiding the two-match sideline ban for the start of the 2027 Division 2 League campaign.
In fresh comments on the matter, ahead of this evening’s ‘Throw in for FOCUS’ charity game between Dublin and Meath at Parnell Park, Brennan furthered that ‘if a Martian came down and looked at what happened, it doesn’t make sense’.
Brennan was hit with a 12-week suspension, costing him four Championship games, after an altercation with Galway’s strength and conditioning coach Cian Breathnach McGinn in the last round of this year’s National League.
Because Dublin’s campaign concluded that day, he still has a two-game suspension to serve in the same competition, bringing his punishment into 2027 despite already missing all the 2026 Leinster SFC and an All-Ireland series game.
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?!” said a frustrated Brennan, who took umbrage at the lighter eight-week suspension for Galway’s McGinn, who initially made contact with Dublin player Brian Howard before Brennan clashed with him.
“Mine was the 12 weeks, plus the two games,” said Brennan. “For his one, obviously it’s okay to touch a player.”
When it was suggested that public opinion seemed to favour Brennan, in terms of the punishment not fitting the crime, the former Dublin defender shrugged.
“It’s so nonsensical that if a Martian came down and looked at what happened, it doesn’t make sense,” said Brennan. “So it’s the Association that has been brought into disrepute by the behaviour of others in the background.”
The GAA was contacted and offered a right of reply, but stated that it will be making no comment.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness escaped any sanction after appearing to shove Kerry player Diarmuid O’Connor during their All-Ireland SFC encounter in Killarney in May.
Brennan referenced that incident when asked again about the outstanding League ban, and how he will miss their Round 1 and 2 ties in early 2027.
“That’s the rule,” he said. “The infraction that I was put down for was the worst of the worst infraction, that was what I was put down for, compared to the other guy who was involved in the altercation, and obviously what didn’t happen 10 weeks later in Killarney.
“So, again, a lot of political dark arts went on behind the scenes, which I was collateral damage, I would say. But there’s no mechanism for me to, within the current rule book, to become available for the first two League games, so I am suspended for the first two League games, yeah.”
Brennan reiterated that the toughest part of his suspension during the summer was being prevented from mentoring a local underage team.
“It’s been well documented at this stage, it was such a severe suspension, with a lot of political games that went on in the background, maybe there’s a book in it in decades to come, I don’t know, but there’s people who came out worse than I did, from the whole thing, in terms of how they carried themselves, without having to mention names,” he said.
“Ultimately I was disappointed that I had let the players and the management teams down, but on a human level, as a father, I was deeply disturbed by the Association and the rules that are in place to ban somebody being involved in kids teams, for the incident I was involved in. So a whole lot of learnings there.”
On his football plans for 2027, Brennan confirmed that defender Eoin Murchan will definitely be back.
The 2019 All-Ireland final replay goalscorer, 30, started all of Dublin’s League games but suffered a ‘freakish’ hamstring injury during a sideline collision with an official during their Leinster SFC opener with Wicklow. He didn’t feature again in the Championship and only made one substitute appearance for his club Na Fianna in the Dublin SFC afterwards.
“He’s really mad to go again, I’ll be honest, which is great because of his experience and skill set,” said Brennan of Murchan.
The Dublin manager also discussed making Niall Scully a central part of his attack, freeing the player up to rekindle his best form and to win a second All-Star.
“I’d marked Niall for St Vincent’s in Parnell Park against the Dublin U-21s,” said Brennan. “St Vincent’s were doing well, preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final I think, and Niall absolutely skinned me at centre-forward. That memory was kind of in my head, ‘God, this fella can play’.
“With the new rules, and the three up, and the desire to want to kick the ball forward more, and Niall’s skill set, and that memory I had, it was a sense of ‘Okay, let’s give him a go in a more central role’. He flourished.”
*****
• The ‘Staycity Presents: Throw in for FOCUS’ charity game between Dublin and Meath selections takes place at 7.30pm at Parnell Park this evening. Every ticket sold, and every donation goes directly towards the Focus Ireland ‘No child without a home’ campaign. See throwinforfocus.ie for details.
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Dublin GAA Eoin Murchan GAA Gaelic Football Ger Brennan National League