Tipp boss blasts GAC over Corcoran ban

TIPPERARY are likely to appeal the three-month suspension imposed on hurling wing-back Eamonn Corcoran, which rules him out of the entire Munster championship.

Manager Michael Doyle last night blasted both the length of the suspension and the way the entire matter had been handled by Croke Park’s Games Administration Committee.

He also echoed the annoyance of County Board Secretary Michael O’Brien that they had not been formally notified of the decision until yesterday morning. While Doyle was philosophical about the loss of Philip Maher - “injuries will occur and you can do nothing about it’’ - he made it clear that Corcoran’s treatment upset him.

“I’m disappointed and angry with the way it was handled by the GAC,” Doyle said. “They did not have the courtesy to ring us last night (Wednesday) and let us know the situation. To me, it shows how the GAA handle the players.’’

While the management had been anxious to finalise their team, Doyle said the main concern was Corcoran himself.

“He waited until 2.30am to get word. I talked to him this morning. He was gutted by the news, disgusted.”

In relation to the actual incident, in the NHL game against Galway in Thurles on April 20, Doyle also expressed criticism it was ‘on the word of the fourth official’ that Corcoran was sent off. “He should have no say and I have no qualms in saying that,’’ he said.

The Galway player involved in the incident, Kenneth Burke, spoke out in Corcoran’s favour in advance of the meeting. “What happened between Eamonn Corcoran and myself was nothing serious - just a bit of pushing and shoving almost on the final whistle,” Burke insisted.

The Tipp manager wasn’t happy either with the delay in finalising the matter. “To me, the decision was taken two weeks ago. I do not know why it was dragged out.”

The actual decision was conveyed to the Tipperary Secretary Michael O’Brien just after 10am yesterday, in accordance with what GAC Chairman Tony O’Keeffe yesterday pointed out was standard procedure. Mr O’Keeffe stated it had been decided early in the meeting that no news would be given out (on any decision) until the following morning.

Mr O’Brien said that after he heard the news he phoned Eamonn Corcoran and while he was talking to him, Michael Doyle came through on another phone. He then conveyed the news to the other officers. He explained that he had been promised a phone call from the GAC on Wednesday night. He had made contact with a member at 10.30, who informed him that they were still in session. “I asked if they would ring me as soon as they were ready and he said yes. I waited on that basis - and waited and waited. And I told Michael Doyle. A number of people rang me because I believed I was getting the phone call.

“They could have phoned me to inform me that I would not be told until this morning. Even if we had that it would have been sufficient. That wouldn’t have been an awful lot to ask for.

“Eamonn Corcoran rang me after midnight and he rang me at 7.50 this morning - but still no phone call came. They have my mobile number, my land line and my e-mail address and I checked all these before I went to bed last night. I took the mobile to bed with me at 2am.

“I am terribly disappointed. I feel we should have been told last night. I really do. I voiced my criticism to Croke Park this morning.

“I am disappointed that a county player should be treated in that way, or that a county official should be treated like that.”

At a personal level, Mr O’Brien said he was very sorry for the player. “It has been very upsetting for Eamonn for the last three weeks. He has an impeccable record.

“Hurling is his whole life. He lost out in playing in the League final, he will play no game in the Munster championship this year and there is a chance that his club will be gone out of the senior hurling and senior football championship by the time he returns.

“It’s a savage sentence - and all for pushing a player out of his way!

“It’s too early to talk of an appeal, but I would hope we would.’’

Tony O’Keeffe - who admitted to being unaware of the conversation the Tipp Secretary had with a GAC member - stated that the policy as outlined by the GAC in the past would continue to operate in relation to notifying people the following morning. He explained that it ‘alleviated the difficulties’ for people waiting on for news while meetings ran late.

As expected, the GAC has decided to act on video evidence from the Allianz Football League final and charge Tyrone defender Gavin Devlin in relation to an incident involving Laois forward Colm Parkinson. A number of other suspensions were imposed at Wednesday night’s meeting arising from recent games, while Kerry’s request for a postponement of their Guinness preliminary qualifier game was granted.

Suspensions of four weeks each were imposed on Mathew Boland (Louth) and Jerome Quinn (Sligo), from April 20; Martin Williams (Westmeath), from April 27; Colm Morris (Wexford) from the date of the Division Two NFL semi-final against Limerick on April 21 and New York footballer James Mitchell, arising from an incident in the Connacht SFC clash with Leitrim on May 4.