CDC slaps six-month ban on Monaghan selector

MONAGHAN football selector Gerry Carville has been given a 24-week suspension by the Central Disciplinary Committee arising out of an incident during his county’s Allianz National League defeat to Kerry in Scotstown last Sunday.

In a strongly worded report, referee Cormac Reilly (Meath) reported that Carville physically abused one of his umpires at the conclusion of the game.

Reilly followed a man into the Monaghan dressing room after one of his umpires was knocked to the ground and had to receive medical attention.

Monaghan County Board chairman John Connolly said he accompanied Carville to the disciplinary hearing on Tuesday night.

“We received a very fair hearing. In his report the referee reported Gerry for physical abuse of one of his umpires and in all honestly I cannot condone such behaviour,” he said.

“Gerry and the county board will take the punishment on the chin and move on. There will be no appealing the suspension, severe and all that it is. That’s our policy.

“I know the disciplinary committee has come in for a lot of flak in recent days, but I have to say we got a fair hearing and were well treated by the committee. We have no axe to grind with anybody as a result of the suspension.

“Thankfully, Dick Clerkin, who had been red-carded for allegedly head budding against Mayo last week, was cleared.

He is a valuable member of our team and we need ever player for Sunday’s crunch game with Tyrone. Eight of our seniors are involved in an Ulster U-21 championship game against Derry on Saturday, and as a result we are very pleased that Dick has been exonerated.”

Several players received suspensions from two to 12 weeks, as follows:

Two weeks: David Barden (Longford), Karl O’Keeffe (Waterford).

Four weeks: Niall Fitzgerald (Tipperary), Dave Bestick (Dublin), Colin Regan (Leitrim), Patsy Bradley (Derry), Francie Bellow (Armagh), Martin Cahill (Cavan), Martin Coyle (Longford), Eugene Hill (Cavan).

12 weeks: John Dillon (London), Derek McConn (Mayo), Stephen Clynch (Meath).

Meanwhile Mark Vaughan (Kilmacud Crokes) was suspended for four weeks and will miss the next game in the competition as he was sent off against Salthill-Knocknacarra in the AIB All-Ireland Club semi-final in Longford.

Following a meeting of Comhairle Árd Oideachas, Mayo senior footballer Conor Mortimer (DCU) has been suspended for eight weeks from the date of his last game (March 12) arising out of an incident in the Freshers football quarter-final between DCU and NUIG. That rules him out of Mayo’s remaining league games.

Declan Brennan (DCU manager) was also suspended for 16 weeks arising out of incidents in the same game.