Wicklow manager Oisín McConville was hit with a hefty suspension in recent days, receiving a four-week ban for comments he made to a referee after a recent GAA league game.
The incident occurred after a loss against Sligo on February 4th, with McConville being banned for verbal abuse of Tyrone official Kieran Eanatta. The manager decided not to appeal the decision.
He is set to miss Wicklow's next two league games, as well as the O'Byrne Cup shield final.
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GAA: Oisín McConville got telling off from family over four-week ban
Oisín McConville has now opened up on the incident that had led to that suspension.
Speaking on The GAA Social, the Armagh legend said that while he had not used any crude language towards the official, he admitted that he had overstepped the mark on this occasion.
I addressed the referee after the game. I went to the referee to give my sides of events and where I thought he went wrong. It's probably not fair for me to go and question the referee at that stage. It's too late, the game is done and dusted.
I felt as if we had calls for having grievances for a lot of things that happened during the game. But again, I was completely wrong, I shouldn't have addressed the referee.
I don't feel it was abusive, there was no bad language or anything used...
I don't want to say (what he said). The reason I don't want to say is because I want to be fair to the referee and he would need to have the right to reply. I didn't use any swear language.
When I want onto the hearings committee the other night, I was told that if the referee felt I was being aggressive or abusive, that was it. The lines was drawn there, obviously the referee felt that I was being aggressive or abusive.
I might be 48 years of age, but I learned a solemn lesson this week that the referee is always right. I have to lick my wounds, it was a massive mistake on my part.
Being a referee in the GAA is certainly a thankless job, but remains one that is vital if the sport is to flourish. It is refreshing to see Oisín McConville put his hands up and admit that he got it wrong on this occasion.
The 48-year old went on to reveal that his own family had given him plenty of grief over his actions.
I got an earful from her [his wife] indoors when I got in home. I got it from the kids, who weren't happy.
Then I took three or four days not to go into my mother, because I thought she would have forgotten about it. I went in and got the wrath of Margaret on Friday.
When you read it, that I got four weeks for being abusive to a referee, I wouldn't be abusive towards anybody on the street or away from a football pitch. It shouldn't be like that on the football pitch.
Oisín McConville will not be on the sideline for Wicklow's upcoming GAA league games against Westmeath or Clare, with the Leinster county winless so far in the league.
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