LIMERICK HURLING ALL-STAR Kyle Hayes received his punishment for violent order offences committed in his home city five years ago at the Circuit Criminal Court this week, receiving a fully suspended two-year sentence and an order to pay €10,000 to his victim.
The case has sparked discussion in GAA circles as to what role Hayes will play as his county goes in search of history by bidding for its fifth All-Ireland hurling title in a row.
Limerick manager John Kiely, who provided a character reference to the court in January as part of a plea of mitigation for Hayes, faced questions about it this week from reporters.
During a launch promotion for the Munster Championship on Thursday, Kiely reiterated that he does not condone the actions of his player against victim Cillian McCarthy, despite giving a character reference in court for Hayes.
In court in January, Kiely had asked Judge Dermot Sheehan not to jail Hayes following his conviction for violent disorder, pleading for Hayes to be given ‘a second chance’.
Kiely said Hayes had already “paid a heavy price” because of the media covering the court case, and said he believed that Hayes had “taken responsibility for his actions”.
However, Kiely was pulled up on this, and the manager later agreed under questioning from barrister John O’Sullivan that he had not attended the two-week trial in which Hayes had denied all of the charges or having encountered McCarthy on the night.
Kiely told the media this week:
“I think my presence, I wouldn’t have gone there unless I wanted to show him that I was there to support him but also that it doesn’t mean I’m condoning what happened at all, quite the contrary.
“Listen, it’s over, it has been dealt with by the courts, we move on.
“I’m glad that it has come to an end. Very much looking towards the future now. I know Kyle is looking towards the future as well and pushing on. That’s it really. Just glad that it has come to a conclusion.”
Hayes has played only once in the 2024 season to date for the All-Ireland champions in a league game in February against Dublin in Croke Park.
He will not play in this Saturday’s hurling league semi-final due to an ankle injury.
According to Declan Bogue, writer for The 42, it’s “essentially a guarantee” that Hayes will resume his sporting career with Limerick over the coming weeks and months.
But questions have been raised whether any discussion would be taking place about his role if Hayes wasn’t a highly talented hurler. Are sporting considerations paramount in these types of conversations?
“I think that’s it in one,” Bogue said. “How valuable is this guy to me? Remember too this is the last year that Kiely will be Limerick manager. They’re probably going to win the All-Ireland, though there probably a long, long way to go.”
Kyle Hayes will be one of the greatest hurlers of all time and he’ll still be only 25.
One example seen in recent years was that of another Limerick hurler, Pat Ryan. The three-time All-Ireland winner was dropped from John Kiely’s squad not long before he ended up in court over a controversy around the squaring of penalty points.
Ryan was initially found guilty of committing perjury but this was later overturned on appeal.
However, he has not returned to the Limerick squad since.
Bogue said that one key difference here is that Hayes, if Limerick win yet another Liam McCarthy cup this year, may cement his position as one of the “greatest” to play the game.
Otherwise, there is also little “history of someone being jettisoned for off field activities”, according to Bogue.
The GAA Code of Conduct does not permit character references from its officers, while allowing it in a personal capacity.
Some wiggle room may be found for Hayes in how the GAA’s Code of Conduct states that any character reference should be put forward “in a personal capacity and not in any way on behalf of or as an Officer or a Member of the GAA”.
The court heard that the victim Cillian McCarthy, has become reluctant to socialise in the aftermath of the incident and had faced abuse on social media from Limerick supporters over the case.
The Limerick County Board and the hurlers’ supporters club did not respond when contacted about these incidents, and whether they wanted to urge supporters to stop engaging in such behaviour.
In his victim impact statement to the court, Cillian McCarthy said he had been “easy going, hard working, enjoying life, loved playing sport” but the night in question, “all this changed”.
The attacks had “a profound impact” on him and his family who are now in a constant state of fear whenever he leaves his home.
He said his “confidence, work and family” had all been negatively impacted.
For Hayes, Bogue said that he might yet offer an apology to McCarthy as he fully reckons with his actions.
“His only route to a sort of public forgiveness really is that he has to play hurling and he’s going to listen to it [from other supporters], and he’s going to listen to it for a few years.
“And when he thinks it goes away, he’s going to have to listen to it even more. But that’s his life and while he’s committed a pretty awful crime, he is still a young man.”
Another topic raised by observers, usually more from a sporting point of view, is whether the Hayes saga could, conversely, result in positives for the Limerick squad by creating a siege mentality.
Bogue doubts this, based on discussions with sports psychologists. “Trying to use all that negativity, invert it and use it as a fuel, could end up doing harm.”
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