Carton case for last resort

The GAA are set on the unprecedented course of taking one of their own disciplinary bodies to an independent arbitrator as a result of the ongoing dispute over the eligibility of the Dublin under-21 hurler Peadar Carton.

It means the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA), set up by the GAA as a sort of last resort for disputes involving teams or players, will now be the last resort of the GAA itself.

Carton was cleared by the Central Appeals Committee (CAC) on Tuesday to play in Sunday's All-Ireland under-21 final against Galway, despite being originally handed an eight-week ban, and it appears the GAA are determined to see that ban through.

A statement yesterday explained their reasoning: "Because of concerns regarding the validity of the decision taken in the Peadar Carton case by the Central Appeals Committee . . . Central Council has decided to refer the matter to the DRA.

"Arrangements are being made for the DRA to meet as soon as possible. There will be no further comment in the matter prior to the DRA meeting."

Effectively this is the GAA taking one of its own disciplinary bodies, the CAC, to the independent arbitrator, the DRA. The time of the DRA meeting was not confirmed but it is likely to be today, ahead of Sunday's final.

The case has dragged on for several weeks, the Central Hearings Committee (CHC) initially suspending Carton for eight weeks over an incident in the All-Ireland senior qualifier against Tipperary on July 7th.

The CAC sent the case back to the CHC, who last week upheld the ban. But on Tuesday, the Dublin board appealed to the CAC once more, and the CAC upheld the appeal on the grounds the CHC were not allowed hear a case twice, despite the fact they, the CAC, were the ones who had sent it back to the CHC.

On an another matter, the GAA have confirmed New York will be the destination for this year's Vodafone All Stars tour. The annual exhibition game, involving the All Star Hurlers of 2006 and 2007, will take place under the new floodlights at Gaelic Park on December 1st.

This marks a return after an absence of almost two decades to the city that originally hosted the annual tours in the early years of the scheme in the 1970s and 80s.

The tour will run from November 29th to December 4th.