Dublin's Jonny Cooper clashes with Mayo's Kevin McLoughlin. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
THE FALLOUT FROM last Sunday’s battle between Dublin and Mayo continues.
It’s not just the players on the pitch who have come under fire.
Pundit Ciaran Whelan’s views on The Sunday Game drew criticism from some big names in the GAA as he was accused of being too sort on Dublin in comparison to his recent views on Tyrone.
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Last night Whelan defended his views on Newstalk’s Off The Balland pointed out there is a natural instinct amongst pundits to be loyal to their own counties.
“We don’t have ice flowing through us. We all have blood flowing through us.
“We’re all loyal to our own counties whether we like it or not, that is a natural instinctive thing within us all.
Sunday Game pundit Ciaran Whelan Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“Now, I was critical of Dublin the other night and I’ve come under fire from some Dublin supporters who felt I didn’t defend them enough and then we have the other end of the scale where people feel I went soft on them.”
The two-time Allstar winner again stated that it was not in Johnny Cooper’s nature to commit fouls like his one on Diarmuid O’Connor early against Mayo and explained his reasoning for urging Tiernan McCann to apologise for his infamous dive last month.
Tyrone's Tiernan McCann is surrounded by Monaghan players James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“I felt from him, as a young player, he would have been better off saying ‘you know what? It was wrong’. People would have moved on quicker.”
Was Ciaran Whelan too soft on Dublin? Here's his defence of Sunday Game views
THE FALLOUT FROM last Sunday’s battle between Dublin and Mayo continues.
It’s not just the players on the pitch who have come under fire.
Pundit Ciaran Whelan’s views on The Sunday Game drew criticism from some big names in the GAA as he was accused of being too sort on Dublin in comparison to his recent views on Tyrone.
Last night Whelan defended his views on Newstalk’s Off The Ball and pointed out there is a natural instinct amongst pundits to be loyal to their own counties.
“We don’t have ice flowing through us. We all have blood flowing through us.
“We’re all loyal to our own counties whether we like it or not, that is a natural instinctive thing within us all.
“Now, I was critical of Dublin the other night and I’ve come under fire from some Dublin supporters who felt I didn’t defend them enough and then we have the other end of the scale where people feel I went soft on them.”
The two-time Allstar winner again stated that it was not in Johnny Cooper’s nature to commit fouls like his one on Diarmuid O’Connor early against Mayo and explained his reasoning for urging Tiernan McCann to apologise for his infamous dive last month.
“I felt from him, as a young player, he would have been better off saying ‘you know what? It was wrong’. People would have moved on quicker.”
You can listen to the full interview with Ciaran Whelan here.
Do you think Ciaran Whelan was too soft on Dublin? Let us know in the comments section below.
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