Disturbing footage has emerged from last night's Slaughtneil versus Ballinderry Shamrocks match in the Derry reserve Gaelic football Championship which saw a mass brawl spill into the crowd.
The game, which saw Ballinderry victorious after extra-time on a 2-15 to 1-13 scoreline, was played just one night after Slaughtneil's senior side were knocked out of the Derry football Championship by Eoghan Rua.
Thursday night's tie saw Slaughtneil come back from four points down at half-time to lead by one approaching extra-time, only for a late score to force the game to additional time. During the course of the tense affair, an on-field scuffle escalated when it spilled towards the crowd. Players and management could be heard exchanging verbals with supporters across the fence which ultimately led to violence.
The incident is not an isolated one in the GAA. In recent weeks several videos of serious altercations have been captured, instigating a debate about the association's tolerance for on-field violence. It goes without saying that the videos themselves are not the issue but what they are capturing.
