As Brian Fenton steps into a Dublin city centre serviced apartment, one would hardly have anticipated such a situation. But this is our current scenario.
Fenton is here as part of Staycity’s Dublin GAA sponsorship campaign. The unfamiliarity of the environment echoes the unfamiliar circumstance he found himself in during the previous Sunday’s Leinster SFC opener for Dublin.
During the face off against Meath at Croke Park, Fenton was sidelined due to a suspension triggered by a direct red card he received towards the end of the league final. This followed a robust tackle by Eunan Mulholland of Derry, to which Fenton responded by shoving him to the ground.
Remarkably, for the 31-year-old player from Raheny, it was the first dismissal of his career – at club or county level. He took his case to the Central Hearings Committee, disputing the judgement that he engaged in conduct “dangerous to an opponent”. His appeal was however denied; the council confirmed the decision and Fenton served a one-match suspension.
In reflection, Fenton says, “I took pride in being a player who had never been sent off, in any setting,” He’s been awarded a few yellow cards, but they were too few to recount. Ejections were never a part of his playing strategy. Although there is now a mark against his name, he doesn’t foresee it being something he’ll feel too regretful about in the future, considering it is not the worst transgression on a Gaelic pitch. However, it has been a valuable lesson.
Fenton confesses his response was not solely due to Mulholland’s aggressive tackle, but also the state of the game – with Dublin trailing by three points. He disliked the aggressive move, which is, sadly, overlooked by referees more often than not. According to Fenton, such actions are detrimental, quite dangerous and leave a bad taste behind.
Feeling three points behind amplified the sensation that the game was somewhat slipping away from us. This, in essence, led to feelings of frustration. A variety of elements contributed to the situation, including an element of over-dramatisation, but the onus was on me for even engaging in it. It was a significant learning experience.
Instead of attending Sunday’s match, Fenton decided to watch it on television at home – an uncommon situation for a player like him who has consistently participated for the past ten years.
Watching the game from home last Sunday made me realise its true value. I consider myself fortunate to be one of those players who have the chance to enter the field and be a part of the action. After ten seasons, there’s a risk of taking all this for granted, as if it’s just another part of daily life. However, my suspension served as a reminder, providing me with a fresh perspective. It made me appreciate the beauty of what we do and how fortunate we are to be involved.