Cork and Down footballers are facing having to play all of their regulation league fixtures away from home whenever the 2021 season gets started. Both counties have been investigated for breach of training guidelines earlier this month and a subcommittee of the GAA’s management committee reported on its findings and recommendations on Wednesday night.
Punishment under the relevant rule is a forfeiture of home advantage for one league fixture. Given that in the reduced format of this year’s AFL, counties are in regional sub-divisions of four teams, some are going to be drawn with two away matches and should that happen to Cork and Down they may also have to play their third in a neutral venue.
As yet, no schedules for the 2021 league have been drawn up. Both counties were promoted from Division Three last year. Cork’s group comprises Clare, Kildare and Laois whereas Down’s features Mayo, Meath and Westmeath.
It is believed that the counties, who were found to have gathered on Youghal beach and at Abbey CBS in Newry, respectively, have been investigated under the heading of Rule 6.45, which governs collective training outside of the window determined by the GAA.
Both counties accepted that players had been present at these locations but that they were compliant with all social distancing guidelines. In Down’s case, the PSNI were called by a member of the public but they found no breach of public health regulations.
Whereas the activities didn’t breach such regulations in either jurisdiction, they were clearly contrary to the GAA’s directive that there be no collective training until mid-January.
As defined by the rule, “Collective training is where one or more player(s) is/are required to be at a specific place at a specific time on a specific date. Intercounty panels may return to collective training and/or games for the following year on a timetable determined annually by the Central Council.”
Both counties have protested that they hasn’t been doing anything unsafe and had observed Covid protocols at all times but the fact was that they shouldn’t have been collectively gathered on those days.
Neither county has been officially informed of their fate. Down chair Jack Devenney added that the incident had been a once-off and said that they had not heard anything by Thursday afternoon but would consider their response to whatever sanctions might be proposed.
The rule specifies the punishment. “Penalties for breaches: senior intercounty panels: The team shall forfeit home venue for its next ‘home game’ in the National League.”
It also remains to be seen whether the respective managers Ronan McCarthy and Paddy Tally will be sanctioned under Rule 7.2 (e), discrediting the association, which carries a minimum eight-week suspension, and under which both were investigated.
Investigation into a third county, Kildare, by the sub-committee found no case to answer. The alleged training session had been brought to the GAA’s attention by an anonymous member of the public and there was no other evidence for the breach, which the county denied. As the charge was unsubstantiated, no further action was taken.
The sub-committee’s work took three weeks and was commissioned by the management committee in response to what was seen as the seriousness of the allegations, which arose at a time when coronavirus cases were surging in the New Year.
Counties have the option of requesting a hearing when informed of the proposed sanctions. There is a school of thought in both administrations though that it might be better to accept the punishment and put the matter behind them.
Retirements
Meanwhile, there were two notable retirements on Thursday with news that Clare football stalwart Gary Brennan, who represented Ireland in two international rules series, had decided to call it a day and also that Limerick All-Ireland winning hurler Tom Condon had done likewise.
Condon released a statement on the Limerick website, saying that he took the decision to end his 12-year county career “with a smile on my face and tear in my eye”.
The corner back played a memorable symbolic role as a replacement in the county’s breakthrough All-Ireland win in 2018 by catching the late 100-metre free from Joe Canning as it fell agonisingly short for Galway and emerging from the thicket of bodies as triumphant as if he had the title in his hand, which effectively he had.
The following year he had a very good league and started in the final victory over Waterford.
Brennan had been Clare’s talisman and one of the game’s top centrefielders since his debut in 2007.
He confirmed his county retirement to the Clare Echo but will continue to play football with Clondegad and hurling with Ballyea for whom he won a Munster medal in 2016 and reached the All-Ireland club final the following March when they lost to Dublin champions, Cuala.
His international performances in 2015 and ‘17, in Australia, were exceptional. On his debut manager Joe Kernan said of three towering catches late in the game, which Ireland won only narrowly, “everyone in the whole country would be proud of him”.
