Former Wexford football manager JJ Barrett was last night suspended for two years by the GAA's Games Administration Committee (GAC). Barrett had been cited for striking referee Michael Curley at the conclusion of Sunday's National League match between Cavan and Wexford at Breffni Park.
He attended the hearing in Croke Park along with Wexford County chairman, Paddy Wickham, and was later informed of the decision. Barrett, a former All-Ireland medallist with Kerry, reiterated his dismay at his actions and underlined his full understanding of the GAC's predicament.
The committee acknowledged the gracious manner in which Barrett had subsequently admitted to his indiscretion and considered his lifelong service to the organisation. However, they felt that the gravity of the offence merited the punishment handed out and it was also pointed out that Barrett could have faced disbarment from the association. Barrett's suspension comes in the middle of a busy time for GAA disciplinary committees. Next Thursday evening the GAC again meet to decide upon the Westmeath/Wicklow debacle.
The Cavan county board, meanwhile, have issued a statement pertaining to comments made by Wexford substitute Paul Harrington to the media regarding the controversial match with Wexford. They take exception to his opinion that there was a "hostile atmosphere" in Breffni Park and that the "Cavan crowd were baying for blood". The Cavan statement, circulated by the county PRO Barney Cully, notes that the booing followed the incident involving referee Michael Curley and Wexford manager J J Barrett and stresses that the Wexford team and supporters "were given a generous round of applause when welcomed to Breffni Park over the public address system before the game started".
The statement also refers to an alleged bottle-throwing incident, stating that, according to a Cavan supporter, a Wexford substitute kicked a water bottle in frustration after the penalty was awarded, hitting the supporter on the shoulder. The supporter then threw it back onto the field "not in a malicious manner and certainly not at a player".
The statement goes on to deny Harrington's apparent assertion that Curley had been swayed by the home support. It also confirms that gardai are investigating complaints that money was stolen from some of the Wexford players.
Meanwhile, though it seems certain that the National Football League quarter-finals will be scheduled for April 11th, tomorrow's postponed Divison 1A game between Armagh and Leitrim could upset the pairings.
Scheduled for Crossmaglen at 2.0 p.m., the fixture is academic to Leitrim insofar as they are already relegated, but a defeat for Armagh would necessitate a quarter-final match-up against Derry, potential Ulster championship opponents, in Clones. An Armagh win would give them a quarterfinal against Sligo.
Armagh have done well since the restart of the league, most notably in a barbed encounter against Tyrone, and they have already underlined their hunger for league honours. Should they win tomorrow's match it is likely that their game against Sligo would be fixed for Longford.
Croke Park would then almost certainly host a double header featuring Dublin versus Kildare and Derry against Cork. A crowd of 30,000 would be expected.
The Meath-Kerry tie will probably be fixed for Limerick; the Kerry-Limerick hurling league match may be a curtain raiser.
Former Kilkenny under-age hurling star David Buggy gets a belated opportunity at senior level against Down at Ballycran on Sunday. The Erin's Own Castlecomer star has been named at full forward by Brian Cody on a team which sees three changes to that which comprehensively defeated Tipperary.
Donal Maher comes in at midfield for Tom Murphy, who was withdrawn in the early stages of the Tipperary game, while Niall Maloney, who was introduced at half-time in that game, is retained. Maloney did much to spark Kilkenny's late revival, nailing 1-3 in that second half.
The corner-back spot has been left vacant as Cody awaits news on a number of players recovering from injury.
Reports that former Roscommon county board chairman Tom Kinnoy had been appointed as the new Leitrim football manager were written off as a prank yesterday afternoon. A member of the Leitrim board "confirmed" Kinnoy's appointment on Shannonside Radio and for over an hour the switchboard was jammed with both well-wishers and those who questioned the appointment. Eventually there was an admission that it was an April Fool's Day jape.
Dublin duo Ciaran Whelan and Brian Stynes will form the midfield partnership for Leinster's Railway Cup clash against Connacht in Tuam on Sunday. Only two of the Kildare players who contested last September's All-Ireland final are selected.
The question mark over the weekend whereabouts of Declan Browne will be erased this morning, according to Tipperary hurling manager Nicholas English. Browne is selected in Tipperary's team to play Cork but is also earmarked to aid the Munster footballers in their Railway Cup semifinal against Ulster in Killarney.
LEINSTER (SF v Connacht): N O'Donnell (Louth); M O'Reilly (Meath), D Fay (Meath), C Daly (Offaly); P Curran (Dublin), F Cullen (Offaly), J Kenny (Offaly); C Whelan (Dublin), B Stynes (Dublin); D Earley (Kildare), N Buckley (Kildare), N Nestor (Meath); D Farrell (Dublin), D Darcy (Dublin), K McManus (Offaly).
DERRY (U-21 F v Monaghan): C Gilligan; A Heaney, K McCloy, R Lynch; P O'Kane, P McFlynn, M Kelly; A N Other, N McCusker; G Diamond, J Donaghy, B Kearney; E Farren, G Cassidy, S McGeehan.
