Tyrone legend Peter Canavan has condemned online abuse of the Mayo team after the All-Ireland final.
It was the Red Hand's day on September 11 as they condemned Mayo to their 11th final defeat since their last All-Ireland success in 1951.
For Canavan he had the pleasure of seeing his son Darragh follow in his footsteps and lift the Sam Maguire Cup.
But the football great was disheartened to see the flak thrown Mayo team's way after the Croke Park finale.
In a column for Sky Sports, he wrote: "I am very disappointed to read about the abuse the Mayo players and management have taken on social media.
"It is shocking to believe people have access or are able to do that - to abuse amateur players who devote so much of their lives to Gaelic games.
"I would like to think they should be protected in some shape or form from that sort of social media abuse.
Mayo’s Ryan O’Donoghue dejected after the game with Cillian O’Connor (Image: ©INPHO/James Crombie)
"It is disgraceful, and after losing an All-Ireland I know how you feel without having to come across that, it is adding fuel to the fire.
"The Mayo players - they can hold their heads up high. Just because they did not win it, it does not mean to say they did not contribute to a very good Championship this year.
"The GAA is viewed the same way in Mayo as it is in Kerry and in Tyrone.
"They are fanatical about it, and I don't want to be condescending, but you have to admire the way they keep coming back, and you have to admire the way they have conducted themselves after the game, in going round and congratulating the Tyrone players.
"The fact of the matter is they are not far away. It might seem now as if they are as far away as ever, but at times I think they have taken hope from what Tyrone has achieved.
"Tyrone were not in the top three or four at the start of the year, and they have gone on to win the All-Ireland, so it proves it can be done and I think in time they will look back on that and see that they are not far away themselves."
