Whether an international sportsman, Tom Sheridan, can represent Meath in tomorrow night's All-Ireland handball final against Kilkenny at Croke Park will be decided by a High Court judge today.
Mr Sheridan, of Taylor Hall, Kells, yesterday asked Mr Justice White to quash a six-month suspension by An Coiste Gnimh, a sub-committee of the Irish Handball Council, which ruled him out of taking part in the final.
Mr Colm Smyth SC, counsel for Mr Sheridan, told the court that he and his county partner, Walter O'Connor, had been scheduled to play Kilkenny's Michael Duxie Walsh and Eugene Downey in the All-Ireland softball doubles final.
Mr Smyth, who appeared with Mr Willie Penrose, said Mr Sheridan (36), who had been one of the most successful players over the last 20 years, planned to retire at the end of this year.
He had won a total of 50 national titles and, apart from representing his county, had represented Ireland on numerous occasions in Australia, Canada and the US.
Mr Sheridan told the court that in a match with Mr O'Connor against Dublin in August 2003, a Dublin player had threatened to break his jaw, and he had brought this to the attention of the referee.
About January this year, he had received a referee's report in respect of the 2003 game in which he had been cited for appearing to push the opposing player.
On August 30th last he had received official word from the GAA indicating that An Coiste Gnimh had imposed a suspension of six months on him with effect from that date.
He claimed that the GAA had failed to comply with its own rules which provided that a referee should submit his report within 14 days after a game. This constituted an inordinate and unconscionable delay which severely prejudiced him.
He said that due to alleged procedural difficulties he had been refused a right of appeal against An Coiste Gnimh's decision.
Mr Mark Sanfy SC, who appeared with Mr Eamon Marray for the GAA, said Mr Sheridan had "lacked candour" in his evidence to the court.
Mr Lorcan Ó Ruairc, riarthóir náisiúnta of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, claimed in an affidavit that Mr Sheridan had presented inaccurate and misleading evidence to the court with regard to certain material matters.
He said Mr Sheridan had failed to disclose that the referee had temporarily halted the August 2003 game and had issued a warning to him for pushing the opposing player against a side glass wall. Mr Sheridan had received the referee's report in October last year, and not January as he had claimed.
Mr Ó Ruairc said Mr Sheridan had been asked by An Coiste Gnimh to attend a meeting in November 2003, to answer a charge that he had by his conduct discredited the association.
He had failed to attend all meetings between November 2003 and August of this year relating to an inquiry into the incident.
Following An Coiste Gnimh's decision, he had attempted to appeal it, but had been ruled out of order.
Mr Justice White will give his decision today.