As Mayo captain Paddy Durcan stood waiting to raise the cup following his side's victory over Galway in Sunday's Allianz Football League Division 1 final, GAA president Larry McCarthy made an appeal.
"We now turn to the next phase of the inter-county season," said the Corkman, after acknowledging that the Division 1 hurling league final between Limerick and Kilkenny is yet to be played.
"As we do, let me remind people and members of the critics collective in particular that what we say matters, what we write matters.
"In the next few months our critiques should be tempered by the fact that those involved in the championship are members of our association, our volunteers and our amateurs.
"Recent criticism of our ethos has been unhelpful and critiques should never degenerate into personal attacks."
23 October 2021; Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Larry McCarthy during the GAA Special Congress at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
It is not the first time that he has used the term "critics collective". He used it during his address to GAA Congress in 2021 when he took over as president from John Horan.
It was also mentioned in an article on the GAA website where the critics collective was said the be populated by "high profile ex-players who have transitioned to being commentators and prognosticateurs as well as anonymous keyboard warriors who sometimes go beyond measured criticism of amateurs who are striving to do their best".
McCarthy is in his final year as president. He will be succeeded by former Armagh footballer Jarlath Burns who won an emphatic victory at GAA Congress in February to become president-elect of the association.
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Bronnadh an corn ar chaptaen na foirne Paddy Durcan👏👏
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