GAC stops short of ejecting Cork and Laois minors

THE GAA’s Games Administration Committee of the GAA has stopped short of ejecting Laois and Cork from the All-Ireland MFC after their melee in Limerick.

The GAC has issued a raft of stiff suspensions and fines in the wake of the controversy, however.

A total of eight players, five from Laois and three from Cork, have been suspended for periods ranging from eight to 12 weeks, while one Cork team official has been suspended for 48 weeks. Both county boards have been fined €5,000.

In endorsing the decision of the GAC, GAA president Sean Kelly said what happened was inexcusable.

“This business has to stop. When it does happen, it has to be dealt with in the severest possible way,” he added. “The fact that it occurred, first of all at minor level, then at inter-county level had to be ‘factored in’ and I think they (GAC) did that,” he said.

Mr Kelly said that the committee had addressed a number of issues which had cropped up during the course of their investigation and these were indicated in the findings.

However, the president endorsed the decision not to suspend either county from the championship - their replay will be played in Thurles on Sunday. He accepted it would have been unfair to penalise the teams for the actions of a few individuals in the brawl which followed the full-time whistle in Limerick.

In the case of Cork players, team captain Andrew O’Sullivan has been suspended for 12 weeks, Michael Shields received eight weeks while Ray Carey who was not part of the Cork playing panel on the day was also suspended for eight weeks.

Keith Ricken who is a team selector with the Cork team, has been disqualified from involvement with any team for the next 48 weeks which will rule him out of his involvement with Cork IT in this year’s county SHC and next year’s Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cups.

The Laois players who have been suspended are, Eoin Culliton and Brendan Quigley (12 weeks each) and Mark Delaney for eight weeks. Laois had two others players who were not part of the official playing panel on the day, but who are members of their development squad, suspended.

Kieran Delaney and Adrian Whelan who came down from the VIP area in the stand where the rest of their development colleagues were seated, and joined in the fracas, have each been suspended for eight weeks.

The GAC confirmed that its investigation has still not fully concluded.

Cork coach Diarmuid O’Donovan said he was extremely disappointed for his players and fellow selector, because they found themselves in a situation which was not of their making, and they have paid a very heavy price.

Laois manager Sean Dempsey was also disappointed, particularly at the severity of suspensions on his players.

The GAA has defended its decision not to refund students for Hogan and Cusack stand tickets purchased for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final between Wexford and Cork.

A spokesperson pointed out that refunds only applied to tickets purchased for the Canal End of the stadium and were paid on the production of the correct identification.