Clubs out of Laois U-21 championship after brawl

PORTLAOISE and St Joseph’s/Barrowhouse were yesterday thrown out of the Laois U21 championship after the brawl that forced their county semi-final to be abandoned last month.

Referee Eddie Whelan ended the game after one St Joseph’s player, Paddy Fleming, was allegedly knocked unconscious.

The row began after a player from each side — Portlaoise’s Cahir Healy and St Joseph’s Donie Kingston — had been red-carded.

Both players had been central figures in the county’s run to last season’s All-Ireland U21 final where they were beaten by Cork.

The match took place almost four weeks ago but disciplinary action was delayed by the Christmas holidays and the fact that the county’s Competitions Control Committee for 2008 had yet to be established.

The CCC finally met early this week and both club’s were notified of their decisions yesterday.

As well as the club’s expulsions, Healy and Kingston have received one-month bans while another player, St Joseph’s David Lynskey, has been handed a three-months suspensions.

Another three-month ban was handed out to Jimmy Rogers, father of Portlaoise player, Craig, while the ‘Town’s club secretary, Peter O’Neill, has been hit with two months. O’Neill is also the county’s juvenile chairman.

Neither club has been fined.

St Joseph’s/Barrowhouse have not made any official comment on the decision though it seems likely that Portlaoise, at least, will appeal the decision to expel them and hand the title to The Heath Gaels who had already booked their place in the final.

Portlaoise released a statement in the wake of the game last month stating they were of the belief that they had not been the instigators and that they felt the game should be awarded to them and their “good name vindicated”.

That always seemed unlikely and Laois chairman Brian Allen, newly-elected to the role in place of Dick Miller, has reiterated that no brawls of any kind will be accepted in the county.

“The clubs have got the decision verbally but we don’t know if they will appeal. When a row happens the people who are involved get punished,” Allen said.

Both Portlaoise and St Joseph’s will be mindful of the fact that Camross and Castletown were barred from the 2007 hurling championship by the county board before being reinstated last February.

The two clubs’ 2006 senior quarter-final had been marred by a 20-man brawl which gardaí were called to defuse.

That incident followed on just 10 months after the county final between the same two sides, when 15-year-old Dean Delaney was knocked unconscious after similarly disturbing and controversial scenes.

The County Board boss has also confirmed that The Heath Gaels, who have reached the final, will be awarded the Laois U21 championship title for 2007.