Roscommon GAA are investigating the circumstances of an alleged assault on a referee during an underage game in the county on Wednesday evening.
An ambulance was required on the field of play at the U17 game at Ballyforan on Wednesday evening.
A video of the alleged incident circulating on social media shows the referee on the ground apparently injured but does not show the alleged incident itself. The incident is said to have happened during the second half of the match.
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A number of team officials can be seen attending to the stricken referee who appears unresponsive in the short clip.
The Roscommon Herald reported that the match was abandoned and an ambulance was called to the pitch. It's understood the referee is now recovering.
Roscommon GAA issued a short statement this morning confirming a probe.
They told the Irish Mirror that the county's Competitions Control Committee will commence a full investigation, adding that it condemns "any behaviour that puts any of our match officials at risk".
Roscommon GAA also wished the referee well in his recovery.
Their full statement read: “Roscommon GAA is aware of an incident involving a referee during an underage match in Ballyforan on Wednesday evening.
“We would like to wish the referee involved in this incident a speedy recovery.
“Roscommon GAA strongly condemns any behaviour that puts any of our match officials at risk.
“The CCC will commence a full investigation into the incident
“We will not be making any further comment at this time."
An Garda Síochana told the Irish Mirror it is "aware of a video circulating on social media of an alleged incident at a sports ground in Co. Roscommon on Wednesday evening, 31st August 2022."
They confirmed they are conducting enquiries into the matter.
There has been a huge reaction to the alleged incident in sporting and political circles.
Senator Shane Cassells said the incident further highlighted the need for a clampdown on abuse in sport.
The Meath Senator said: "This morning we are waking up to shocking reports of an alleged assault of a referee at a GAA match.
"The time to clampdown on abuse in sports was yesterday and we must take a zero-tolerance approach to abuse in sport going forward.
“The stats produced by Dr Noel Brick from Ulster University showed that 94.29% of 438 GAA referees surveyed experienced verbal abuse, with 23.06% reporting physical abuse.
“Last night was a reaffirmation of how real these stats are.
“And online abuse is feeding a lot of the hatred that is then manifesting itself in physical abuse.
“Yesterday veteran GAA referee Maurice Deegan (Laois) came out and said that “social media is a curse on refereeing” and is having a major impact on the recruitment of new match officials.
"Our Oireachtas report on the elimination of abuse in sport set out a number of recommendations namely the removal of funding for organisations who breach codes of conduct.
"This has to be on the table in order to clampdown on the abuse faced by officials, referees and players," he concluded.
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