GPA comes clean on inter-county drug-testing boycott rumour

GPA chiefs last night dismissed claims they are to launch a boycott of post-match drug-testing at intercounty games.

It had been suggested a proposal for players to withdraw from the testing carried out by the Irish Sports Council would go before GPA members at last weekend’s EGM, held simultaneously in Portlaoise and Belfast.

Some hurlers and footballers are known to be unhappy that they should be submitted to the same rigorous examinations as professional athletes.

The possibility of a boycott was discussed last weekend, but GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell said yesterday that it was discussed only “as a potential means of demonstrating our annoyance and anger” at the lack of progress being made on the sports grants issue with the GAA.

Drug-testing was first introduced in the GAA for the latter stages of the 2001 All-Ireland Championship and is now part of every matchday, after much initial unease among players and officials.

“Obviously it’s a great inconvenience for players and many players feel that they shouldn’t have to be subjected to drug-testing in an amateur sport,” said Farrell.

“We’ve been down the road before with this particular issue and we complied and were in agreement with the establishment over the anti-doping side within the GAA itself.

“Ultimately, it was decided that it was in the best interests of players to keep their sport clean.

“Players have become more accustomed to it now and see it as part and parcel of the game.”

Meanwhile, Tyrone’s Healy Park looks set to become the first of the seven recently-designated provincial grounds to unveil its new floodlighting system.

County board officials were hoping that the first game to be played under lights at the venue would be the Ulster Under-21 final on Easter weekend but that has been ruled out due to a generator problem.

Galway officials are hoping to have their lighting at Pearse Park operational for the first International Rules test later this year between Ireland and Australia, on the weekend of October 28/29.

Only one Connacht venue has been chosen initially, with Casement Park in Belfast being the second of the Ulster grounds.

In Leinster, Portlaoise’s O’Moore Park and Navan’s Pairc Tailteann will be fitted for the lights while Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds and Waterford’s Walsh Park have been designated in Munster.