If you ask most GAA fans, they’ll say a good schemozzle only adds to a great game – as long as it doesn’t get too serious of course.
Well, things got very serious when Cork and Clare clashed in the 2007 Munster Championship quarter-final. It got so bad in fact, that the GAA – on top of the numerous suspensions handed out – were forced to change their own rules of how teams come out onto the field.
It all started when both Cork and Clare left their respectively dressing rooms at the same time and met in the Semple Stadium tunnel. With the sides having to go in opposite directions when they exited the tunnel area, all-out war ensued and scraps took place all over the Thurles turf.
The battle that caught the eye of most fans lucky enough to be in attendance that day was the meeting of Clare enforcer Colin Lynch and Cork’s Diarmuid ‘The Rock’ O’Sullivan. The gloves were well and truly off in that one.
Eventually, order was restored and Cork went on to win the game by seven points, but the incident dogged both sides’ summer and was so infamous it become known as ‘Semplegate.’ Luckily enough, O’Sullivan happens to be our hurling ambassador and he was kind enough to grace us with his inside version of how things unfolded that day.
By the way, he still fancies another round with Mr Lynch!