Michael Murphy pictured with proud Fermanagh girl Amelia Morris during Donegal’s recent training camp in the county ahead of the All-Ireland final
A WELL-KNOWN GAA figure in Fermanagh and south Donegal has accused a Labour party senator of being “partitionist”, after the politician criticised the Donegal management for of a “splash out” on a five-day training session at the Lough Erne Hotel Fermanagh, before the All-Ireland final.
Belleek native, Michael McMahon said it did not matter where Jim McGuinness took his Donegal team for preparations as “long as it was on the island of Ireland.
And Mr McMahon said that Labour Senator John Ryan’s criticism of the Fermanagh venue was “partitionist”.
In a controversial statement, Senator John Kelly slammed the decision by Jim McGuinness and his backroom team to go on the training camp north of the Border.
Mr Kelly claimed the team would have got a similar deal in Leitrim or Roscommon for a fraction of the estimated €20, 000 cost of the five-day camp ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final clash with Kerry.
The Senator said he is all for teams being taken to a secluded location for pre-match training, but said he was baffled as to why they chose such an expensive venue.
He said there were perfectly good alternatives in Roscommon and Leitrim.
Mr Kelly added that being married to a Donegal woman, he knows full well the expectation that is being heaped upon the top team and wished them well in the final.
However he added that the decision by top brass to spend a rumoured €20,000 on a five-day training session in the North sends out all the wrong signals, especially when more affordable options are available.
But the Belleek native community activist Michael McMahon accused the senator of being partitionist.
“It makes no difference where Jim McGuinness and his men train when it is on the island of Ireland.
But even if he goes abroad, as he did to the Algarve in the past, we would not be mean spirited and object to a man and a squad who brought us such great success and real joy over the past four years or so.
“I don’t accept that it is necessarily a lot dearer to go to Fermanagh, which is my native county and a lovely place to visit on any occasion.
“This team has brought great joy to the entire north west and it deserves only the best, and remember the Lough Erne hosted the G8 Summit last year so it is clear that Donegal will be getting the very best that is available.
“And Mr Kelly should remember that funds for these matters have been sourced by Jim McGuinness from private sources so it is not unduly affecting the county board.
“Mr Kelly is being very unfair on Fermanagh and the training camp is only 20 miles from the Donegal border.
“Of course we would all love to have Donegal training in our own backyard or even in Bundoran but that is missing the entire point. The whole point in the exercise is to get Donegal away from prying eyes and give them the best possible chance to prepare for Kerry,” he added.
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