Kilmore GAA have hit back at claims by the Connacht Council that no request for a postponement was made prior to Kilmore’s Connacht intermediate championship quarter-final against Galway champions Monivea/Abbey.
The Roscommon intermediate champions refuted the Connacht Council’s claims in a statement, which was sent to the Roscommon People earlier this week.
Part of the statement reads:
‘At 11 am on the morning of Sunday, October 23rd, Kilmore GAA, through its chairman, contacted the County Secretary, Brian Carroll, and asked him to contact the Connacht Secretary, who is also CCC Secretary, John Prenty, to seek a postponement of the game in Tuam as a mark of respect to the late Frank Dennehy. We submitted the request through the County Secretary rather than contacting Connacht Council directly as this was the correct procedure.
This request was made verbally, on one of the Kilmore busses (sic) bringing Kilmore players to Tuam. In the company of a number of Kilmore players and officials, the Roscommon Secretary, who is a Kilmore Club member and was on board the bus, rang the Connacht Secretary to convey this request. The conversation opened with John Prenty expressing regret over the death of Frank Dennehy. In light of this, Brian Carroll then enquired about the possibility of getting the game called off. John Prenty responded that that would not be possible as it was too late and the referee and others were on their way to the game.
That is a factual account of what took place and there are a number of witnesses, including club officers, team management members and players, to confirm it. We therefore, utterly refute the assertion of the Connacht Council that no such request ever took place.
We wish to point out that the minute’s silence referred to (in the Connacht Council statement) was only agreed after the Connacht Secretary had indicated that a postponement of the game would not be allowed.
We are very disappointed that the Connacht Council issued this statement which is at variance with the facts.’
