Ryan resigns from hurling board in Galway crisis

THE Galway hurling crisis claimed its first victim last night when Miko Ryan – the longest serving GAA officer in the county – resigned as chairman of the Hurling Board.

His resignation was delivered to the chairman of the Galway County Board, Gerry Larkin, shortly before its management committee met to consider a number of issues surrounding Ryan. The staging of the Galway senior hurling final on Sunday week is in doubt as Mullagh – disgruntled with losing a controversial semi-final and now facing the possibility of 48-week suspensions being handed out to three of their players for abusing a referee – consider an objection based on Ryan chairing the fixtures committee which organised their clash with Loughrea while under suspension.

Ryan recently served the remaining 16 days of an eight-week ban imposed during the summer after he was involved in altercation on the sideline during Galway’s Leinster championship defeat to Kilkenny.