On Thursday night, GAA President Jarlath Burns attended a meeting where the Armagh County Board publicly addressed the Miami ‘incident’ for the first time.
Last week, it was revealed that a serious incident had allegedly occurred in Florida, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) announced that they had “arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity.”
This followed a statement from an unidentified individual, who, through his solicitor, declared his innocence, stating he would do everything in his power to clear his name.
Both the Armagh County Board and the GAA president had faced criticism for not publicly acknowledging the allegations, which had been circulating in the county and on social media prior to last week.
The issue was finally addressed at the county’s annual convention on Thursday night, held at a lesser-known GAA club on the outskirts of Newry.
Outgoing Armagh County Board chair Paul McArdle addressed the issue at the convention. “I want to be absolutely clear on this matter, contrary to want you may have read or heard, Armagh GAA has and will continue to fully support and cooperate with everyone to ensure procedures are followed.
“I want to reassure our clubs and members that we have worked tirelessly and diligently with Ulster GAA, National GAA and the PSNI over recent weeks.
“Yesterday, the GAA issued a statement that had the full support of Armagh GAA. For those who are not aware of it, it reads: ‘We are aware of a reported incident and are responding to serious allegations. We can confirm Armagh GAA is continuing to respond to this matter in collaboration with Ulster GAA, the GAA at Central Level and the PSNI.’
‘Out of respect for those involved and ongoing police enquires, we are unable to comment any further at this time.’
