Leinster Council launch formal inquiry into biting incident

The Leinster Council's Competitions Control Committee will launch a formal investigation into last Sunday's O'Byrne Cup match between Dublin and DCU and the allegation of biting against a Dublin player.

Last night's communiqué from the provincial council was brief. According to a spokesperson, "The CCC met and appointed a sub-committee to examine all aspects of the facts pertaining to the game. It's hoped that the matter can be expedited as quickly as possible."

Incident
The allegations arose in the aftermath of the match and when on Monday an incident was referenced in the report of Meath referee David Gough the matter became official and it was inevitable the Leinster Council would have to act, which they did by convening yesterday's unscheduled meeting of the CCC.

Written submissions from the two sides were considered and the committee felt the matter deserved further attention. Given that the referee did not see the incident, which was reported to him at a later stage of the match, the matter will have to be investigated by taking witness evidence from both sides.

Previous allegations of biting have depended on the willingness of the alleged victim to give direct evidence.

Speaking in general about such matters earlier this week, GAA president Liam O'Neill accepted the accusation of biting was particularly hard to adjudicate, as any incidents tend not to be seen apart from by those allegedly involved.

Disciplinary process
"If it was easily seen it would not be done," he said. "Isn't that part of it, but we view those things seriously and our disciplinary process is there, it is robust and if the allegations are followed up and if people give evidence then it is easy to create a case – if indeed there is a case to be made."

On a happier note for the GAA there has been news of jersey sponsorship deals for two counties.

In Wexford, GAIN Feeds, a subsidiary of the Glanbia Group, are to take over sponsorship of the county football and hurling jerseys. The deal, which will run for an initial period of three years, replaces that with Sports Savers, which had been in place for five years.

County chair Diarmuid Devereux welcomed the news in an interview with the Wexford People: "We are delighted to have GAIN Feeds on board as we look to promote Gaelic games through working with the company in the future."

The company previously sponsored Waterford hurlers for a nine-year period up until 2005. GAIN had been part of the Waterford Co-op group, which merged with Avonmore, who sponsor Kilkenny, to form Glanbia in the late 1990s.

In Sligo, The Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa will sponsor the county senior and junior football teams for a third year.

Regulations
Sligo has also availed of the recent change in GAA sponsorship regulations allowing an additional sponsor's name to appear on the jersey.

That subsidiary sponsorship deal will be with IT Sligo and the county also announced a three-year kit deal with KUKRI Sports Ireland, making Sligo the first county team to enter into a commercial arrangement with the company.

Finally, Cork will take on UCC in a senior hurling challenge on Saturday week, 25th January. Admission will be free to the match, at noon in the Mardyke Sports Grounds to honour Archdeacon Michael O'Brien and his contribution to the GAA. Then Canon O'Brien, he led UCC to eight successive Fitzgibbon Cup titles in the 1980s and managed Cork to the 1990 All-Ireland title, having been involved jointly with Justin McCarthy in the county's previous MacCarthy Cup success in 1984.