Kingdom star O’Sullivan handed a two month ban

KERRY’S Tom O’Sullivan has been handed a two months ban arising from an incident in the Allianz NFL game against Tyrone last week.

The Rathmore man is ruled out of any of the team’s challenge games but will be free to play in the Munster SFC semi-final on June 3rd against the winners of the Clare/Waterford first-round game.

The suspension dates from his last game — against Dublin last Sunday — and ends at midnight on Saturday June 2nd. Because of a change in the disciplinary system made a few years, it only relates to inter-county activity.

He will be free to play with his club, which he captains this year.

The particular incident for which he received the suspension — from the Competitions Control Committee (CCC) — happened midway through the second half of the Tyrone game, which was played under lights in Austin Stack Park. It was based on video evidence — being missed by the referee but picked up on television.

O’Sullivan initially considered making a request for a personal hearing and this enabled him to play in last week-end’s vital game.

However, according to a County Board spokesman, this is now unlikely.

Meanwhile Derry captain Kevin McGuckin is likely to undergo surgery after an x-ray revealed he has suffered a clean break to the lower part of his left leg five minutes into Sunday’s Division One win over Louth.

The injury rules McGuckin out of Derry’s Ulster SFC first round clash against Antrim on 3 June and he may not be fully match fit until mid-summer.

Oak Leaf team management official Martin Heaney described the injury as ‘‘a massive, massive blow’’ for the county.

Meanwhile Croke Park will host the M Donnelly Interprovincial hurling and football finals for first time since 1991, after the CCC decided to play them there under lights in October.

The double-header will be staged on the night of Saturday October 20th, with the semi-finals taking place the previous Saturday at provincial venues.

Two years ago the football series was affected by the International Rules Series which coincided with the competition. But, with no tour this year, the interprovincials are set to get the full focus from the GAA — and, more importantly the players.

In recent years the football and hurling finals were played on foreign shores (Rome, Paris and Boston) and both the GAA and the sponsor will be hopeful of a strong turn-out this Autumn.

At the height of their popularity, the Railway Cup competitions attracted attendances in excess of 60,000.

The semi-final draws are: Football: Connacht v Leinster; Munster v Ulster.

Hurling: Munster v Leinster; Connacht v Ulster.