Less than a fortnight ago, a club game in Sligo was blighted by a mass brawl, ending with an off-duty Garda being knocked unconscious. A melee erupted following a Minor Championship game in Sligo between Shamrock Gaels and Owenmore Gaels, with the referee confronted post-game. An off-duty Garda went onto the pitch to help protect the referee, only to be caught up in the brawl, and was ultimately knocked unconscious.
This morning, the Irish Independent are reporting another ugly incident at an underage GAA game, this time in Kilkenny. A 13-year-old hurler was left unconscious and brought to hospital having been caught up in a melee during an under-14 hurling game between Galmoy Windgap and Tullogher Rosbercon on Wednesday.
The game was abandoned when supporters of both sides ran onto the pitch to confront one another, with the young hurlers caught int he middle. One such youngster Simon Kennedy, was left unconscious. The game was abandoned, and 13-year-old Simon was brought to hospital for treatment.
The Gardaí are investigating the incident. The father of the injured boy, Seamus Kennedy, spoke to the Irish Independent, saying that "I am just glad that Simon is alive and well", adding that "my wife and I are very upset".
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