Fennell to continue in his Dublin role

THE DUBLIN County Board have moved to clarify the eligibility of midfielder Eamonn Fennell, stating he is currently free to play for the county despite the continuing dispute over his club transfer request from O’Toole’s to St Vincent’s.

Fennell was a late addition to the Dublin startling line-up for last Sunday’s O’Byrne Cup opener against Wexford, performing well in his first such appearance in over a year, but later cast some doubt over his own future with the county unless the transfer dispute is sorted.

The issue has been burning for almost two years now, with Fennell previously seeking a transfer on two occasions – to join Ballymun Kickhams, in 2008 season, and to join St Vincent’s last year – only to be turned down both times by his original club, O’Toole’s.

It is understood his latest request to transfer to St Vincent’s has also been turned down, but that process, according to Dublin County Board chairman Gerry Harrington, is ongoing, and in the meantime the player remains eligible for the county.

“I’m not in a position to speak about any individual case,” said Harrington.

“I can only comment on the process. The county competition control committee met last Saturday to process applications of all transfer requests from Dublin clubs. They made certain decisions, which have been communicated to clubs and players, and those decisions will come before the county committee, who meet next Monday night, for final approval.

“If for whatever reason a player is not happy with that decision then he can appeal, within three days, to the county management committee.”

Asked if the player was therefore still eligible to line out for Dublin, Harrington replied that “as of now he was still attached to the books of O’Toole’s and therefore was eligible to play for Dublin”.

Manager Pat Gilroy also stated after the Wexford match on Sunday that as long as Fennell was training with the panel he would be in line for selection, and in fact planned on using the 25 year-old against Meath in the O’Byrne Cup quarter-final this Sunday.

Fennell didn’t conceal his frustration over the dispute, speaking after the Dublin-Wexford of his hope and desire that the issue can finally sorted.

“It’s hard to play football with everything that’s gone on in the last 12 months, but it’s good to be back. All I ever wanted to do was play football. I work in the GAA (as a games promotion officer with Naomh Fionnbarra in Cabra), GAA is my life, and for a club to stop me playing is heart-breaking,” he said.

“All I ever wanted to do was play for Dublin, and for some club to stop me . . . I don’t know how they could do it, especially a club like O’Toole’s who knew everything I went through.”

The only reason for his transfer request, he added, is that he wants to develop his football career at a more football-oriented club: “O’Toole’s are a great hurling club and I have a lot of respect for the lads in the club, I grew up playing with them all. I just think there are no structures there for football. I was only playing football. I played a bit of junior and intermediate hurling, but that was just to keep my fitness up. The hurlers were using the football for the same reason, just to keep their fitness up . . .”

Dublin are at home again next Sunday in their quarter-final of the O’Byrne Cup, against old rivals Meath, although Gilroy does get another chance to look over his players this Thursday evening at a special challenge game as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of St Declan’s College on the Navan Road.

The college boasts a remarkable list of former pupils who went on to play for Dublin, in football and hurling, across all grades – and two St Declan’s All Star teams have been selected to line out against the Dublin hurlers and footballers for a double-header at the St Brigid’s GAA club, Russell Park.

The football team will be managed by three former students of St Declan’s, all three former All-Ireland winners; Mick Galvin, Bernard Brogan snr and Jim Brogan snr. The hurling team will be managed by current Dublin senior hurling selector Vinny Teehan, who is a teacher in St Declan’s, with former Dublin hurler Ruairí Boland in a player-management role. The hurling throws in at 7pm, the football at 8.30pm.