Gardaí and the GAA’s Munster Council are conducting investigations into an alleged assault at an under-9s hurling blitz in Dr Morris Park in Thurles, Co Tipperary, on Saturday afternoon.
It is alleged the young player was assaulted by a non-playing adult who entered the playing area.
Gardaí said they were alerted shortly after 1pm to the alleged incident and “inquiries into the matter are ongoing”.
“As the incident involves young persons, An Garda Síochána will not be commenting further at this time,” a Garda spokesman said on Monday.
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The Munster Council also confirmed it was conducting an investigation into the alleged assault at the underage blitz.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Sean Kelly MEP, a former president of the GAA, said stiffer penalties against clubs whose fans abuse players or referees were needed. “This must not become the norm,” he said. “Clubs know those who are hotheads. If this is to be stamped out, it has to be done internally.”
Kelly said the onus should be on clubs to identify alleged bad behaviour among spectators and then “sort it out”. He said there should be no tolerance of such behaviour in the GAA from “top to bottom”.
The incident follows recent controversies involving pitch-encroachments that saw GAA referees in Wexford and Roscommon injured.
