Crossmaglen's Aaron Cunningham pictured about with his father Joey claims that he was racially abused during Sunday's Ulster Club Final versus Kilcoo.
Quoted in today's Irish Times, Cunningham said:
You go out to play football in a good sporting manner, hard-hitting and that, but when race comes into it, I think it’s disgusting, to be honest. I don’t want to let it overshadow what has been a good game and a 10th title for us, three-in-a-row and number five for myself. But I feel it has to be said, because what was said has no place on a football pitch.
I don’t actually want to repeat it but the N-word was used and the word Paki was used too. Looking at me, it’s a bit ignorant on his behalf for calling me a Paki. I addressed the linesman, who was standing no more than 10 yards away. I can’t say if he heard it or not. He said he didn’t. I told him what was said.
I just felt it was absolutely disgusting. There is no place for it whatsoever. You have the likes of my father, he played football as well. I think he was the first black player to play in Croke Park.
I’m sure you could talk to a handful of boys and they’ve all had some sort of racist abuse. And as I say, it happened out there today and it’s absolutely disgusting. But I don’t want to let it dampen what has been a great day.
Speaking on Radio One's Morning Ireland the President of the Ulster Council Aogán Ó Fearghail insisted that the incident would be investigated thoroughly.
A Kilcoo club spokesperson quoted in the Irish Independent said that they were "shocked and saddened to hear of any allegations of racial abuse following the Ulster Club Final."
Picture via Aaron Cunningham's Twitter account.
