Dessie Farrell considers a libel case against Antrim county secretary !

[The GAA]

Fair point from max - where's the quote or even suggestion from farrell that there is annoyance never mind an intent to bring it further?

[orangeman]

Fair point from max - where's the quote or even suggestion from farrell that there is annoyance never mind an intent to bring it further?

Please refer to yesterday's Irish Independent for further details of the story.

[The GAA]

By Cliona Foley


Tuesday December 02 2008

A TOP GAA official is set to receive a solicitor's letter today from players' union head Dessie Farrell, threatening to sue him for libel because of comments made about him in a report to the upcoming Antrim Convention.

Farrell, the chief executive of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), has resolved to take legal action against outgoing Antrim secretary Jim Murray.

Murray's comments are of a personal nature and the former Dublin player regards them as an attack on his character and motivation.

It is not the first time that Farrell, a full-time official with the unrecognised players' union, has attracted personalised criticism from a GAA official.

But he clearly views Murray's scathing comments -- and the fact that they have already been printed as part of the county convention report and were circulated to all national media yesterday ahead of that December 10 meeting -- as a step too far.

Personal

"The threats of strike action and the continued unreasonable demands of their (GPA) chairman do not surprise me," Murray begins, before making his more personal remarks in his end-of-year review.

Murray concludes by saying that "players are looked after better than ever now and that has more to do with the forward thinking and positive attitudes of county boards than with the GPA."

The GPA did not have any particular issues with Antrim County Board this season and actually supported them publicly on several issues, including joining the Leinster hurling championship.

Murray also uses his convention address to strongly criticise the GAA's decision to re-engage with the Australian Football League and restore the International Rules series.

"The only success I can see from this hybrid exercise is the continual poaching of our young players.

"The game serves no purpose. It doesn't promote our rules, it doesn't help the vast majority of our players and members and it certainly does not promote our culture or heritage," he says.

Effort

"Let's put the finance and effort into our overseas units and the development of our game and into the people and units who work, day after day, trying to establish, play and promote all that is good about our games in fields near and far."

The Antrim convention will also hear testimony from another official that referees locally are still being subjected to widespread verbal abuse and that three of them have refused to officiate next season because of what is claimed to be attempted intimidation by club officials.

The chairman of the Antrim referees' committee, Gerry McClory, says that such verbal abuse "seems to have increased and we all have our heads in the sand, with club officials reluctant to chastise the people who continually abuse referees."

He said: "Officials, especially club secretaries, try to influence the referee to change or water-down his report.

"It has happened on at least four occasions this year. In fact, one referee has quit over the phone calls he received after putting someone off in a game."

- Cliona Foley

Am i a complete dope or is there not a single word in that article to back up the headline?

[the colonel]

From Hoganstand

Antrim secretary Jim Murray has moved to clarify that his remarks about Dessie Farrell in his report to county convention were not a personal attack on the GPA chief executive.

Farrell was reported to be considering taking legal action against Murray after the former referee used his report to next week's county convention to slam the player's body. He wrote: "The threats of strike action and the continued unreasonable demands of their chairman do not surprise me.



"Players are being looked after better than ever now and that has more to do with the forward thinking and positive attitudes of county boards."

But the outgoing secretary has moved to diffuse the situation, pointing out that his comments should not be perceived as an attack on the former Dublin star.

"I'd like to make it clear that I wasn't casting any aspersions on Dessie Farrell," Murray said. "In fact, I have great respect for him and what he has done and achieved in the game and also for what he has done for the GAA as an administrator, a player and with the GPA.

"Dessie and the GPA were behind us and helped when Antrim were looking to get into the Leinster championship. They were totally supportive of us then and we appreciated that.

"So I have the utmost respect for the GPA and what they are doing for players. I might not agree with their stance on a lot of things but they have done a lot of good too."

Murray, who is not seeking re-election to the position which will become full-time in the near future, continued by saying that the GPA play an important part in the GAA.

"This is not a personal vendetta on my part towards Dessie or the membership of the GPA. The GPA have a role to play and it's everyone's right to be a member if they so choose.

"I certainly don't claim to see eye to eye with them on all issues but there is nothing personal in those remarks. It was an opinion I expressed."

Farrell has welcomed Murray's clarification and stated that was "the end of the matter" as far as he was concerned

[orangeman]

Much ado about nothing then !

[carribbear]

Farrell is still a little (obsured on legal advice) though. Typical dub looking for a union and creating a job for himself.

[Owenmoresider]

What a pr..........ecious indivdual he is. Nothing there that merits legal action. The Antrim sec. should have said nothing, you would think he had done something wrong. If Dessie wants to embarrass himself in court then let him go for it.

[rosnarun]

Job done for farrell . who now will say anything against him when they know right or wrong hell hit them with a libel writ.
no wonder Donal O'Neill got out while he still had a rep to uphoild

[carribbear]

Job done for farrell . who now will say anything against him when they know right or wrong hell hit them with a libel writ.
no wonder Donal O'Neill got out while he still had a rep to uphoild

It's amazing how people like Farrell will pull out the court card. I've seen this used in other disputes, where someone threatens to bring a person to court for damages when theres absolutely no grounds but the thought of having to spend thousands (i wonder where dessie would get the money for this action?) to defend your words does not appeal to most folk, plus all the hassle it brings with you. Not to mention even if you are in the right the law is such an arse that you always face the possibilty of losing.

I hate him more than i did before and that is quite a lot. I wish he'd just eff off and take his strikers with him. If you don't want to play we don't need you. Plenty more lads to take your place.

[Michael Schmeichal]

Why is Murray backtracking in the paper today?  Sure he didn't say anything of offence!

He said some very offensive things but the Indo wouldn't print them as they could then be sued for libel. Murray hardly apologised for nothing.

[The GAA]

It's amazing how people like Farrell will pull out the court card.

Do us all a favour there and throw up the source and quotes showing where farrell threatened anything of the sort

[BeanPháidín]

He should seek advice from his union rep........

...... the bathroom mirror

Having read extracts from his book in National newspapers and taken notice of his angles I sometimes wonder is player welfare he has in mind or just a personal hatred of County Boards and their members?

Every county has its pioneer pin fossil delegates but that's life, they're nominated by clubs and elected at county level democratically. He's no hero himself, should be able to take a bit of criticism in his position.

[tyssam5]

I'm not a lawyer, I know there are some on here that can maybe clarify, but I thought that libel had to be printed material? If it is spoken remarks about someone is this not slander instead of libel?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I'm not a lawyer, I know there are some on here that can maybe clarify, but I thought that libel had to be printed material? If it is spoken remarks about someone is this not slander instead of libel?

Yep, correct, only the published/printed can be classified as libel. Fancy his lordship getting something wrong.

[rosnarun]

Yep, correct, only the published/printed can be classified as libel. Fancy his lordship getting something wrong.

that the thing about bar room  lawyers, they know feck all . when a slander is published it become libel . if it is made in a public speech which is known to be recorded in the form of minutes then it becomes libel.
in any case the Tort is defamation and the form is secondary as both the burden of proof and the compensation are identical
most jurisdictions have abandoned both words in favor of just defamation.