Cavan and Armagh likely to face sanctions following pre-match brawl

By Peter O’ Dwyer

The county boards of Armagh and Cavan are facing strong disciplinary action following the pre-match brawl that erupted before Sunday’s Ulster quarter-final at the Athletic Grounds.

The confrontation began when the two teams went to line up for the pre-match parade. The Armagh players filed in behind the Cavan flag however which led to Cavan players attempting to move their opponents. A melee involving numerous players from both sides then ensued.

Members of the St Michael’s Scout Band appeared to get caught up in the incident as they tried to stay out of harm’s way.

Despite no cards being shown, it’s likely that the GAA will not take kindly to the actions of both teams and impose sanctions on the respective county boards.

Cavan’s Martin Dunne was ruled out of the game with a suspected broken hand following the incident, while Armagh defender Brendan Donaghy also required treatment.

Armagh won the game by 1-12 to 0-09 to book a semi-final meeting with either Tyrone or Monaghan in Clones on June 28.