Queens lodge appeal against Sigerson expulsion
An appeal was last night lodged with the Central Appeals Committee (CAC) challenging the decision to remove Queens from the competition for fielding three ineligible players in their first round defeat to IT Sligo.
Members of the Belfast University GAA club were informed by Higher Education top-brass last November that students of Stranmillis, a teacher training branch of QUB, were no longer eligible to line out for Queens in the Sigerson Cup.
Queens sought to contest this move through the CAC, but claim they were prevented from doing so at the time.
Back in 2012, Queens were successful in appealing to the CAC the Sigerson Cup eligibility of Stranmillis students and are confident they will now be vindicated for a second time.
At a meeting of the GAA’s Higher Education Hearings Committee on Wednesday night in Croke Park, Queens failed in their bid to be reinstated while IT Sligo were dumped out for fielding an ineligible player.
Queen’s University officials, including full-time GAA officer Aidan O’Rourke, argued at the meeting that IT Sligo had fielded an ineligible player in their recent 1-9 to 0-8 loss after extra-time at the Dub.
Stephen Doak, who lined out for IT Sligo in that game is currently a full-time Sabbatical Officer with IT Sligo Students Union.
This breach of rule was successfully argued by Queens officials.
However, Queens were also punished for fielding Stranmillis College students Ciaran O’Hanlon, Tony Donnelly and Greg McCabe in that match. While the trio all hold Queens student cards, and Stranmillis students have been allowed to play for the University in the past, a new GAA club has been set up in the last year at the teacher training college to cater for its players, and will play in the Corn Comhairle Ardoideachais championship next week.
Weekend hosts UCC now advance to the semi-finals, where they will meet Univ of Limerick or IT Carlow.
