Gambling left Oisin Mc Conville with debts of £100,000

[orangeman]

A lot of GAA personalities have written books - and there's no doubt that Oisin is a legend - top scorer in Ulster - and I read a piece in y'days paper where it said that but for Peter Canavan and Oisin Mc Conville, Kerry would have had 5 in a row !

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

...where it said that but for Peter Canavan and Oisin Mc Conville, Kerry would have had 5 in a row !

Or even SIX in a row (2002, 2003 + 2005), only for us eh? 

[Bensars]

Absolutley i agree. I wish the fella all the best and as i have said it will raise awareness of the problem.

Its not a GAA issue though. We are an amatuer organisation and in regards of looking after our own , it is done on a micro club level all the time. Take the example of the injury compensation scheme, its an absolute joke whereby some young fella at club level may be off work for a substantial length of time nad may have to support a wife family and mortgage.

Tonight in some small clubrooms up nad down the country i bet you ( pardon the irony) there will be benfits/injury functions taking place. These guys are equally as deserving of our assitance as is our blue ribbon players.

We do look after our own, its our choice/breeding/moral conscience that enables us to do it.

However the personal addiction should not be laid at the altar of the GAA to repair !!

[Uladh]

I just cant believe  people from within Oisins own county would use his admission to attack him.  

Where has anyone from his own county attacked oisin for this?

[Balboa]

Have to agree with Bensars, Mc Conville has a bit of a cheek. Would he be saying the GAA should be looking into it if he didnt have a book to promote? Will we have to rely on someone having a book to promote before we know of someones gambling problem, how would this extend to the club player?

[cavan4ever]

Have to agree with Bensars, Mc Conville has a bit of a cheek. Would he be saying the GAA should be looking into it if he didnt have a book to promote? Will we have to rely on someone having a book to promote before we know of someones gambling problem, how would this extend to the club player?

I agree aswell, if he hadn't a book to promote we wouldn't have heard about the gambling. 

[Tyrone Dreamer]

All this talk about McConvilles great nerve doing the intereview is a load of balls. Its obvious he did the interview to promote his book - another good money making scheme.

[Bensars]

Book ?      What Book ?

Is there a book coming out  ?

[shotstopper1]

I agree aswell, if he hadn't a book to promote we wouldn't have heard about the gambling. 

After his stint in Virginia a lot of people in the county already knew about his gambling, book or no book.

[oneillcup2007]

Whats  a virgina

[thebandit]

Oisin says that his gambling spiralled out of control in late 02 and 03.  Based on the timing of this I assume that it had something to do with the high he felt when Armagh won the All Ireland.

If that is so, I wonder if he in any way would swap winning the All Ireland with not having his gambling problem?

I strongly suspect not!

There's no doubt that the two are linked though

[armaghniac]

There is discussion on the radio now about a prominent Irish rugby player having some gambling issues, so perhaps the winning buzz affects players in all codes.

I agree that the GAA is not responsible for sorting all social problems but it gives amateur players a very high profile in some cases and if this is linked to particular problems then some awareness of the issue in the GAA would be a good thing.

[Buckass]

He only has himself to blame..I lost a nice bundle backing Kerry in late 02 as well

[Kentucky Blue]

It's very debatable whether the GAA looks after their own now but maybe that's another issue...

My main point is whether or not you think its a publicity stunt by Oisin or the BBC lambasting the GAA, maybe a few other people will admit to their problems now and try do to something about it and good luck to them.

Maybe saying the GAA should be responsible is too strong but they should have some role. We already have GAA officers raising the awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drugs ause, why not gambling too?  As it was pointed out by some already on the thread, it's a disease.

[Balboa]

Its only a disease if you are losing........