GAA to fight Louth fan’s phantom goal legal action

The GAA has offered a robust defence of its procedures in the face of an unlikely legal action taken by a Louth fan against their handling of the 2010 Leinster final.

Louth were infamously denied a first Leinster title since 1957 by an injury-time match-winning goal from Meath’s Joe Sheridan which was proven to be illegal.

The GAA was subsequently put under huge pressure to offer Louth a replay on the grounds of moral justice though the saga appeared officially over when Meath explained the rules didn’t permit them to make any such gesture.

According to local reports in the north-east, however, a legal action is currently underway, claiming the GAA “deliberately” broke its own rules when it “declared” Meath winners. Mornington man Paddy Garvey is taking the case, which has been listed for a December 13 hearing at the Four Courts.

GAA Operations Manager Feargal McGill confirmed the association is confident it followed correct procedures at the time of the July 2010 debacle.

“The GAA are absolutely confident that we followed the rule books very carefully at the time and that we followed our rules to the letter of the law,” stated McGill.

“That was to the dissatisfaction to a lot of people at the time, who felt we should have went a different way.

“The very fact that no replay was ordered and the score stood was because we followed the GAA rule book to the exact letter. To have done anything else would have opened us up to litigation.”

Louth GAA chairman Padraic O’Connor had no comment to make on the issue when contacted but it’s understood the individual is not in any way linked to the county board.

It is also reported that a previous attempt to summons GAA President Christy Cooney was dismissed by a Dublin District Court in July, though McGill opted not to comment on this or on the potential ramifications for the GAA should the upcoming case be successful.

Picture: Feargal McGill: correct procedure was followed