Seven-time All-Ireland winner accuses Ulster GAA legend of making him ‘public enemy’

McConville later discussed the hit on the Second captain’s Podcast with another of Dublin’s golden generation, Paul Flynn, who accused critics of ‘anti-Dublin bias’.

One of Dublin’s most decorated ever players has hit out at Armagh GAA legend Oisin McConville in an interview days after he announced his retirement from county football. John Small was speaking on the Smaller Fish GAA Podcast with Colm Parkinson, when a controversial incident from the 2021 All-Ireland final was discussed.

Mayo ended Dublin’s six-year unbeaten run in the Championship at Croke Park, but Western defender Eoghan McLaughlin had his jaw broken after a forceful challenge from Small in the second half at Croke Park.

The Westport man later had surgery to repair the damage and the challenge sparked debate at the time, after Small went unpunished.

Armagh All-Ireland winner McConville has been a high-profile pundit since his own retirement, and he told the Irish Examiner at the time, “Dublin got away with possibly three incidents that were black cards and John Small should’ve seen the line. Quite frankly, his tackle was horrendous.

“If you commit to a challenge like he did on Eoghan McLaughlin, you need to get the shoulder, or get the ball, and Small did neither. There’s a duty of care here. Sometimes you hear about these things in a club game where a referee might be on his own and may have missed it. But for it to go the way it did was hugely disappointing. Maurice Deegan was also looking on from 15 yards away and it leaves a bitter taste for Mayo.”

McConville later discussed the hit on the Second captain’s Podcast with another of Dublin’s golden generation, Paul Flynn, who accused critics of ‘anti-Dublin bias’.

“That was a hospital pass. It was a blindside hit and John was obviously 100% within his right to go for the shoulder-to-shoulder,” four-time All-Star Flynn said. “He mistimed it absolutely, red card. But the way he’s been abused online, in my eyes, has been appalling. Some of the pundits, Oisin included on The Sunday Game, haven’t really helped the situation.”

The Armagh man took issue with Flynn’s analysis, blasting: “What did I say on The Sunday Game that was bad? I said it was a mistimed challenge, but it’s a sending off.’ Anti-Dublin bias”? Anti-Dublin bias is the biggest load of b****cks, that is pure, total, and utter dung, that’s what that is.”

Ballymun Kickham’s man Small kept his counsel at the time but, upon retirement, admits he was stung by the criticism he took at the time.

“I messaged Eoghan McLaughlin after just to make sure he was alright and obviously said that it was just slightly mis-timed. He text me back straight away and was like, ‘absolutely no issues, I would have done the same if it was roles reversed’,” said Small on the Smaller Fish GAA Podcast.

“There are some people in my black book that would have went after me online. Like, GAA people, to be honest, really annoyed me. Someone like Oisin McConville, he really went after me and I remember that.

“I remember himself and Paul Flynn were debating it on the Second Captain’s Podcast, someone sent it to me. It was just really, it was like he wanted me to be public enemy. I just don’t think, for a guy that’s played, to do that.. I just think that’s not what I would do anyway.”