Mary I slam Mallie claims of illegal players

LIMERICK’s Mary Immaculate College last night blasted claims by HE GAA chief Michael Mallie that they fielded players illegally during this season’s Ryan Cup, expressing outrage at what they term ‘a gratuitous and defamatory attack on its reputation and integrity’.

The teacher training college are calling on Mallie to withdraw his comments or otherwise they will pursue legal action. The row centres around HE authorities claiming last month that Mary Immaculate intercounty stars Shane McGrath, Jamie Nagle and Darragh Egan were all ineligible to play in the Ryan Cup due to a lack of educational credits.

In an official statement, the President of Mary Immaculate College refuted Mallie’s claims stating: “The suggestion clearly made by Mr Mallie, that the College has somehow fixed an entry process to get GAA players onto our teams, is deplorable and blatantly untrue and we regard it as a particularly grave assault upon the good reputation of this institution that cannot go unchallenged. We are asking Mr Mallie to substantiate his accusations or withdraw them immediately.”

Mary Immaculate College strongly asserted that the “out-of the-blue” decision to deem these players ineligible has arisen on foot of an incorrect interpretation of the rulebook by HE authorities, and declared that they will be reviewing their future participation in third-level GAA competitions.