The Derry and Fermanagh GAA county boards have both issued statements on Monday in response to an interview given by the estranged wife of Rory Gallagher.
Nicola Gallagher made allegations of serious domestic abuse against Rory Gallagher, who “stepped back” from his role as Derry senior football manager on Friday night ahead of Sunday’s Ulster SFC clash with Armagh.
In response to his ex’s claims, Rory Gallagher released a statement through his solicitors saying that “all allegations had been investigated and dealt with by the proper authorities.”
READ MORE: Nicola Gallagher says GAA knew of Rory Gallagher abuse claims - but did nothing
In an interview published in the Sunday Independent, Nicola Gallagher claimed that both the Fermanagh and Derry GAA county boards knew of the abuse she referred to in her previous social media post detailing allegations of domestic abuse over a 24-year period.
"The GAA knew about all of this, 100%, and the county boards of Fermanagh and Derry knew - because we told them," she said.
Nicola Gallagher stated that her father emailed Derry GAA last year with the claims, but didn’t receive a response.
In a statement, Derry GAA said: “It was reported in the weekend media that Derry GAA did not respond to an email relating to these allegations which was reportedly sent on May 25th 2022.
"We have rigorously checked our email system and we have no record of receiving any such email then or at any time subsequent to that. We have not been able to verify the address the email was sent to, but we believe it may have been sent to a defunct administrator address.
“Derry GAA was unaware of these allegations until they emerged last week. We condemn all forms of domestic violence and we encourage anyone who has experienced domestic violence to report it to the relevant authorities immediately.”
Fermanagh GAA also issued a statement earlier today, saying: “While we will not make any comment on specific allegation or allegations, we can state that Fermanagh GAA has never received any official complaints.
“Fermanagh GAA does not condone any form of domestic abuse.
“We echo the words of Ulster GAA; we encourage and support anyone who has been a victim of such abuse not to suffer in silence but to avail of the statutory and voluntary support services that are available in the community.”
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