Judge throws Leinster final lifeline to O'Connell

RORY O'CONNELL has been handed a dramatic lifeline back into Sunday's Leinster final against Laois.

O'Connell was sent off for an alleged stamping incident in Westmeath's Leinster championship opener against Offaly in mid-May and was handed a 12 week suspension.

However, at the High Court in Dublin yesterday, Judge Sean O'Leary ruled that the GAA ban was ineffective because written evidence wasn't considered.

Westmeath manager Páidi Ó Sé welcomed the judgment and said he was delighted for the Athlone man, who didn't attend yesterday's court.

"We're happy out about the whole thing. It's great to have him available for us on Sunday," said Ó Sé.

"I haven't been talking to Rory yet but Tomás O'Flaharta [Westmeath selector] was talking to him earlier and he was obviously delighted with the news."

Westmeath GAA Chairman Seamus Ó Faoláin echoed O Se's sentiments.

"I'm thrilled for Rory," said Ó Faoláin. "Nobody in Westmeath deserves more to play in a Leinster final and, from the very beginning, he has insisted on his innocence. I think yesterday's decision sees him vindicated."

Mr Justice O'Leary granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the GAA authorities from imposing the suspension pending the full trial of the action. The Judge said there was no imposition on Mr O'Connell playing on Sunday on foot of any decision taken by the court.

Mr Justice O'Leary referred to a letter from Offaly player Paschal Kelleghan - who said he got a blow to the head but could not identify who did it. The Judge said the letter was admissible during the two hearings but had not been considered by the Games Administration Committee (GAC) and the Management Committee. Fair procedures were not followed, added the Judge.

He said he was not adjudicating on what should happen to Mr O'Connell in the future.

Rory O'Connell, in an affidavit, said when he was shown a red card in the game against Offaly on May 23 last, he did not know why he was being sent off. He was aware the referee had received a report from the linesman at the time. Following the match, he asked the referee why he had been sent off and he replied that he did not know yet.

He later got official word that he had been sent off and reported for stamping on an opponent. He believed the linesman misinterpreted what was an innocent entanglement after a tussle for the ball.

Mr O'Connell said that before a meeting of the Games Administration Committee (GAC) he made contact with the player who was allegedly the subject of the stamping incident, Pascal Kelleghan. Mr Kelleghan informed him he could not say he (Mr O'Connell) had stamped on him. He asked Mr Kelleghan if he would write to him confirming this and Mr Kelleghan said he would.

He subsequently attended a GAC meeting, during which the GAC never read out the letter or explained why they did not do so.

An appeal against his suspension was heard at a Management Committee meeting on June 19.

He found out then that Mr Kelleghan's letter had not been taken into account at the GAC hearing. Later, he was advised his appeal was unsuccessful.