A Galway GAA supporter has earned widespread concern and sympathy after detailing her troubling experience at the recent Leinster Hurling Championship clash between Galway and Kilkenny at Nowlan Park. In a letter to the Kilkenny People, fan Bridie Kirby recounted what she described as an appalling incident of aggression and intimidation from a fellow spectator.
Bridie, who had travelled over two and a half hours to attend the match with a family member, took her seat well ahead of throw-in at 2:20pm.
Around 15 minutes before the game began, a man—described as a Kilkenny supporter—arrived with his partner and demanded that Bridie and her relative move from their seats in Ardán Breathnach, despite numerous other free seats available in the ground.
“We said no and explained that we had arrived early in order to get good seats on the halfway line,” she wrote. Though she pointed out nearby free seats, the man allegedly reacted with hostility.
The situation escalated dramatically when Kilkenny scored their first goal. According to Bridie, the man poked her with his elbow six times, prompting her to jump up and demand he stop. Despite her protests, the man denied the physical contact. “However, I have the bruises to prove him wrong,” she wrote.
The Galway supporter was further shocked by what she described as a threatening remark made by the man to his partner: “they’ll f**kin move the next time they’re asked.”
Her letter has since been widely shared on social media, with many Kilkenny fans expressing outrage at the alleged behaviour and voicing their support for Bridie. Many have emphasized that such conduct does not reflect the values of Kilkenny’s loyal and passionate hurling community.
“We in Galway have always had the height of respect for Kilkenny players, managers and supporters,” Bridie wrote. “We know that Derek Lyng and his team would never condone such moronic and disrespectful behaviour.”
The incident has cast a shadow over what should have been a celebration of hurling, with calls from supporters for better crowd management and a renewed focus on mutual respect in the GAA community.
