Derry's Ulster SFC hopes have suffered a major blow with the news star forward Paddy Bradley's appeal to the Ulster Council against his three-month suspension has failed.

Bradley's second appeal against the ban was heard by the Ulster Council's Hearings Committee on Thursday night and despite the Glenullin man's presence at the hearing, the body ruled the ban would remain. He had previously made an unsuccessful appeal to his own county board against the ban which followed an alleged altercation with a referee at a game against Loup last month.

Bradley had continued training with the squad in the hope the ban would be lifted, but he's now resigned to missing Derry's opener against Antrim on June 3rd and a potential Ulster semi-final on June 24th.

Meanwhile, the GAA have launched a new range of refereeing gear for the championships. The range includes three new designs of jerseys.