Further light has been shed on the 12-month suspensions handed down to five Roscommon players from the North American Board. According to the board's PRO Eamonn Kelly, the punishment for unauthorised transfers to a club in Boston arose from playing under aliases. "Briefly, the suspensions you refer to concern players from Roscommon who played with the Galway club in Boston. They played under different names and the suspensions were handed down for that reason. At the moment all documentation is with Paddy Rooney (the secretary of the board) and he is handling the matter at this end."

Rooney was not available for comment.

In response Roscommon county secretary Tom Mullaney confirmed the grounds for suspension. Does the charge of playing under assumed names complicate his role in advising the players?

"It would but my initial reaction was that it wasn't logical to play under different names when their authorisation was in order. But that would be a matter for the secretary or registrar of the club in Boston. The players themselves are adamant that they heard nothing about these suspensions."

Meanwhile the Kildare County Board has announced details of a development programme involving a new FAS Diploma for Gaelic Games Coaching. A pilot scheme being introduced for the first time in the country, it will in the first year train 15 coaches who will go into the schools to work with teachers and club coaches.

The scheme is being underwritten by Hewlett Packard to the tune of £25,000. The company is also donating £5,000 worth of computer equipment to the county board office in Newbridge to help administer the programme.

At the Guinness Reception Centre in Dublin last night, Brendan Fullam launched the third of his trilogy of hurling books, Legends of the Ash. It follows the publication of Giants of the Ash (1991) and Hurling Giants (1994). In each of the books, players from many decades reminisce about their playing days and their famous contemporaries.

In yesterday's editions, Armagh's joint manager Brian Canavan was inadvertently referred to as Pat Canavan.