OPINION: Was Kiely right to attend the Hayes trial?

IT’S the evening of August 19, 2018 and we’re inside arguably the happiest bus on the planet. The hurlers of Limerick have just defeated Galway in the All-Ireland senior final in Croke Park and the bus filled with the proudest, hardest men in the land is headed towards Citywest and the throngs awaiting them and the Liam McCarthy Cup.
At the front of the bus stands John Kiely, the team manager, the inspiration, the man who has just guided his men to the greatest prize in their sport. He takes a microphone in his hand and addresses his champions, his men, his squad, his warriors.
He talks about the trust management had in the players all season and then addresses the ties which will bind the group together forevermore.
“The bond that’s between everyone on this bus, the respect we have for one another is incredible,” he says. “Whatever happens from today, from now, that trust, that respect is the most important thing that we have as a group.
“Any decision you make in the next day, week, months and years must be made with the importance and respect this group deserves. This unique group of people on this bus, we have this one thing in common, this journey we have been on, this achievement we have – ’til the day we die we will have this one link together, that link, that bond, that chain that links us all uniquely together. Every one of us and it is so, so special, so respect it. Every decision you make has to be made in the light of the respect we must have for each other within this group.”
Somewhere among the players looking towards Kiely at the front of the bus was a young man who had just hurled the greatest game of his life. Kyle Hayes was 20 years old. He had been a colossus at centre-half-forward for the men in green and a pivotal figure in Limerick’s first title win in four and a half decades.
As the bus neared the Citywest Hotel, Hayes looked towards Kiely who was just finishing his address and thoughts turned towards the excitement awaiting them over the following days.
Last week, Kiely and Hayes were in close proximity to one another again. They found themselves in Limerick Courthouse in very different circumstances from the evening in August 2018 when they stood on top of the world.
Last week, Kiely was in the courthouse to give a character reference for Hayes who had earlier been found guilty of violent disorder in the local Icon nightclub on October 28, 2019. The victim, a self-employed carpenter gave a heart-rending victim impact statement outlining the impact the incident has had since that night more than four years ago.
He said his life had changed irrevocably and he was now a different person compared to the man who walked into the nightclub that fateful night.
Kiely took the stand and explained that Hayes “is somebody I trust, he has a very strong work ethic, he’s a strong leader, he puts his team first and himself last, he is someone I could rely on even in the most difficult of circumstances.”
The Limerick hurling boss said he believed that Hayes “accepts his very disappointing part in that night ... he regrets it, he is very sorry” and said he believed that Hayes had “taken responsibility for his actions.”
Many have criticised Kiely for attending court and giving a character reference for a man found guilty of violent disorder, but I can understand why the team manager appeared.
As Kiely said in 2018, sporting journeys bind people together forever. Since 2018 the manager, Hayes and their colleagues have developed into one of the greatest teams of all time. They have experienced sporting highs and lows along the way.
In fairness to Kiely he said he was “not in the slightest” condoning what Hayes did on the night. The manager said he had viewed the CCTV footage of the dance floor violence and described Hayes’ behaviour as “very disappointing.”
I can understand why many are criticising Kiely for attending court and giving Hayes a character reference after a young man was left with ongoing difficulties. However, I also understand why the bainisteoir did it. Judge Dermot Sheehan will sentence Hayes on March 20. I don’t envy him his task.