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Sensational claims by former Roscommon goalkeepr Shane Curran, of British collaboration in the All Ireland successes of Tyrone and Armagh in recent years are thought not to be covered in any detail whatsoever in Mickey Harte’s forthcoming book.

Curran, who won nothing of real note during his inter-county career with Roscommon, is more famous for inventing the puntee kicking tee used by various goalkeepers round the country. It is thought that one of the kicking tees may have inadvertently got lodged in his arse and from there it has interfered with his normal (already limited) brain function. Certainly if he ventures north of the border anytime soon into ‘British Territory’ there’s a fair chance his nads will be placed carefully on a puntee and well kicked.

Curran’s claim is that extra funding from the British Government has given northern counties a distinct advantage over their southern counterparts,and that their success has little to do with ability.

“Since the inception of the backdoor, demographics along with financial clout, have dictated who does and does not compete for All-Ireland honours. The emergence of the northern counties owes as much to the peace process and financial assistance afforded to them by Her Majesty than any real innovation.”

It is not known whether Mr Curran consulted Nelson McCausland before he made these claims. It is also not known whether anyone has told Mr Curran that Ulster counties won Sam in the years 91-94 when the prevailing conditions and the attitude of the British towards gaelic games, especially among squaddies stopping players travelling to and from games, was far from conducive to supporting our national games.

What Her Majesty and her servants on the ground did deliver in spades through their ‘assistance’ was a tight knit GAA communty that to this day is fiercely protective of its members, its culture and its games.

Mr Curran’s comments might earn him a few laughs in Roscommon but for the likes of Sean Brown’s family in Bellaghy or Aidan McAnespie’s family in Aghaloo or the scores of GAA people going about their lawful business in Derry, Antrim, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Down who were harrassed, intimidated, insulted and at times shot at for years, these comments are ignorant and offensive.

As some commentators have pointed out, if the Windor’s cash was so forthcoming how come the other counties haven’t dominated as well. In Armagh a contributory factor was the success of Cross in winning the All Ireland club under Joe Kernan, there was little British funding went into that club – they didn’t even pay rent for the land they occupied. And in Tyrone, he forgets two words. Club Tyrone.

So our message to Shane? Your famous these days for inventing things big lad, more so than playing football. And your latest claim is just that, an invention.