THE 2 JOHNNIES have said they felt “compelled” to inform listeners of their podcast of a new update to the ‘GAA Catfish’ story, after learning of new developments in the famous tale.

Johnny ‘B’ O’Brien, who is one half of The 2 Johnnies Podcast alongside life-time friend Johnny ‘Smacks’ McMahon, told listeners in 2022 that he had been ‘catfished’ online by a person posing as a woman named Cora O’Donovan.

The presenters later detailed that a number of other men, the majority of whom were members of high-profile inter-county or club GAA panels, had come forward and informed the programme that they had also been catfished by the same person.

Catfishing refers to when someone hides their true identity online while engaging in a, usually romantic, relationship with someone else. The saga, spanning over two episodes, quickly became synonymous with the podcast series.

According to the programme, a number of men approached O’Brien and McMahon in 2024, telling them that a person posing as a woman named Aoife Kennedy had catfished them. The presenters have confirmed that Aoife and Cora are the same person.

In the third installment of the tale, one man details that Aoife claimed to him that she had sexually assaulted by a GAA player and alleged other traumatic experiences, including being forced to have an abortion.

The man approached the programme concerned that similar allegations would be spread about him. Separately, a photo of the man’s child appeared on Aoife’s social media pages – posted without his consent.

Both presenters said: “This episode is not about shaming anyone but about raising awareness and preventing further harm. It’s time to address this issue and call on social media companies to do more to combat fake profiles.”

The 2 Johnnies have advocated for better protections to be placed on social media profiles, including coming up with methods to verify the identity of users.

In the latest episode, published today, the presenters highlight the dangers of making false allegations and warn listers against speaking with people online without verifying their identities first.

In 2022, Fianna Fáil senator Lisa Chambers brought a bill to the Seanad that sought to make amendments to the existing Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 that would make catfishing illegal.

It was passed by her colleagues in the Seanad but did not progress past the committee stage.

While there is still no legislation banning the act of catfishing, a number of people in recent years have been jailed for making false allegations of sexual violence against others.

Meanwhile, a number of European lawmakers in recent months have sought to progress legislation through the EU institutions that would require social media companies to verify the identity of users. No formal votes have yet to take place, however.