Monaghan player banned for two years over doping

Monaghan GAA player Thomas Connolly has been found guilty of a doping offence, a joint-statement from the GAA and Irish Sports Council has outlined.

There was much speculation surrounding this case in the last number of weeks and Connolly has now been formally banned for a two-year period.

The statement read: “The GAA and the Irish Sports Council jointly announce that the GAA Anti-Doping Hearings Committee determined that player Thomas Connolly has committed an anti-doping rule violation.

“Thomas Connolly, a GAA player from Monaghan, has been sanctioned by a period of ineligibility of two years commencing on the March 18, 2015 – the date on which he was provisionally suspended by the GAA, subject to rights of appeal within 21 days under the Irish Anti-Doping Rules.

“This was a reduction from the standard period of four years' ineligibility because the GAA Anti-Doping Hearings Committee was of the view that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional, under article 10.1.3 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules.

“In an out of competition doping control test on the February 13 he provided a sample which tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance, 3’-hydroxystanozolol glucuronide (Stanozolol).

“The hearing was held on under Article 8 (Disciplinary Process) of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules and this announcement is made pursuant to Article 15 (Public Disclosure) of the Rules,” the statement.

This revelation will generate further debate in the days ahead regarding the protocols in place for occurrences such as these.

The cynics may argue Connolly’s is possibly not the isolated case it is perceived to be however it would take a huge leap to even consider doping is any sort of an issue within the Association.

Still, this case vindicates the importance of regulations in this particular field.

The Disciplinary Panel’s findings make for interesting reading.

‘On 18 March 2015, the ISC notified the Athlete of an Adverse Analytical Finding and informed him that he was being charged with the following anti-doping Rule violation, (hereinafter referred to as an ‘ADRV’), namely – ‘Article 2.1 – the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in your sample’ On 3 April 2015, the Athlete responded to the ISC’s notification and admitted to the ADRV indicating, however, that he wished to dispute/seek to mitigate 3 the consequences of the ADRV and requesting a hearing before the GAA Antidoping Hearings Committee. On 10 April 2015, the ISC wrote to the Athlete confirming that, in accordance with his indications, the matter had been referred to the GAA Anti-doping Hearings Committee.’

Additionally, Disciplinary Panel’s findings added: ‘The Committee, having considered the evidence and the submissions made to it determine that there has been a violation of Article 2.1 of the Anti-doping Rules. The parties have a right of appeal in respect of this decision. Under the agreement between the GAA and the ISC such an appeal lies with the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel’.