Gaeltacht’s MacGearailt set for transfer to Ballygarvan

FORMER All-Ireland winning Kerry footballer Aodhán MacGearailt could be on the verge of transferring allegiances from home club An Ghaeltacht to Cork side Ballygarvan.

His transfer, which would be processed by the Munster Council, could be finalised by next week. Ballygarvan club officials declined to comment on the matter when contacted yesterday.

MacGearailt lives locally in the Ballygarvan area and is employed as a PE teacher in Carrigaline Community School. He recently hit the headlines during the Cork players strike when he was appointed by Gerald McCarthy as physical trainer to the 2009 Cork hurling panel that competed in the Waterford Crystal Cup and the early rounds of the National Hurling League.

MacGearailt won an All-Ireland senior medal with Kerry in 2000 while a year earlier he had been part of the Kerry U21 side defeated in the All-Ireland final by Westmeath.

At club level he won Kerry SFC medals with An Ghaeltacht in 2001 and 2003, but their hopes for All-Ireland club glory were thwarted in the 2004 decider by Caltra.

The capture of the Kerry attacker would represent a major coup for Ballygarvan. Currently operating in the South-East division at junior football level, they were close to gaining promotion to intermediate level last year but were defeated in the county junior final by Éire Óg.

Meanwhile Cork clubs Na Piarsaigh and Bishopstown were set to wait until they received official notification from last night’s Seandún board meeting before deciding whether to appeal their threatened expulsion from this year’s City U21 football championship.

Following the mass brawl which lead to the abandonment of their quarter-final clash two weeks ago, the Seandún board have recommended that both clubs be expelled from the championship and be fined e1,500 each.

Yesterday, officials from both clubs revealed they would be waiting until the official notification would be received before pursuing the next course of action.

If the clubs choose not to appeal, St Michael’s will get a bye through to the City Division final against the winners of Sunday’s semi-final between Nemo Rangers and St Finbarrs.