Barry’s chance of playing rests on personal hearing

KILDARE have not given up hope that midfielder Alan Barry will be eligible to play in tomorrow evening’s All-Ireland football qualifier game against Roscommon in Portlaoise.

He has been granted a personal hearing by the Games Administration Committee in Croke Park tonight.

The player was controversially dismissed by Meath referee Seamus McCormack inside the first five minutes of last week-end’s Leinster decider against Laois after receiving a second yellow card. A two weeks suspension was imposed because he had been similarly disciplined earlier in the year in the controversial League game against Sligo.

Manager Pauric Nolan and county board officials are adamant that he should not have received the second yellow card last Sunday and will use video evidence to support their case.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the task force set up by GAA President Sean Kelly to examine alcohol abuse took place on Wednesday night. Their brief will be to examine ways in which the Association might positively contribute to reducing alcohol and substance abuse in Irish society. Former Galway captain Joe Connolly is chairman of the committee, which includes Governor of Mountjoy Prison John Lonergan, Guinness Sponsorship Manager Michael Whelan and Kilkenny star DJ. Carey. The other members are Donegal County Board Secretary Noreen O’Doherty, Timothy Maher, the Primary Schools representative on Central Council, and Colm Jordan, former President of the Union of Students of Ireland.

Mr Kelly stated that he did not expect the committee to solve all the problems of abuse but that this ‘highly experienced and disparate group’ could make a substantial contribution in terms of the broader issue. He said that he hoped that they could produce a report by next Spring.

*Tickets for Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals will be on sale today and again tomorrow from 11am to 7pm, from the ticket office at the rear of the Cusack Stand in Croke Park. The triple bill is Antrim v Galway in the minor quarter-final starting at 12.45pm, Antrim v Wexford at 2.15pm and Offaly v Tipperary at 4pm.

*Tickets for the Kildare/Roscommon football qualifier in Portlaoise tomorrow evening are available from the respective county boards. The game will have a 6.15pm throw in. Tickets for both venues may also be sourced from the GAA’s official website www.gaa.ie.

Admission to the Donegal/Down game in Clones tomorrow (4.15pm) is by cash only on the stiles.

*The game in Portlaoise, along with both hurling quarter-finals will be shown live on RTE television. The draws for the quarter finals of the Bank of Ireland football championship will take place live on The Sunday Game on Sunday night at 9.30pm. There will only be a draw for the hurling semi-finals if Antrim defeat Wexford. In the event of Wexford winning, they will be paired with Cork as they have already met Kilkenny!