MAYO County Board officials have scrutinised the video of last Sunday's controversial All Ireland final and are satisfied that "there is no conclusive evidence of Liam McHale striking" during the fracas which took place early in the match.
The board will ask the Games Administration Committee of the GAA to give McHale an early hearing in an effort to have him cleared for the opening round of the National League.
The GAC have brought forward this month's meeting from October 29th to next Wednesday when Mayo hope that McHale's case will be heard, and cleared to line out against Monaghan on Sunday week.
Sean Feeney, the Mayo County Board secretary, said yesterday that his board will be arguing that McHale's suspension be confined to the automatic two weeks.
He said: "In the interest of natural justice, especially when there is a doubt, we will be looking for Liam's case to be dealt with before the start of the National League."
In Crossmolina on Sunday McHale will be denied the chance of joining his Ballina Stephenites team mates Pauric Ward and Paul McStay who will be trying to win a third Mayo senior championship medal in nine years.
Ballina are seeking their 33rd title while Knockmore will be attempting to lift their seventh. Knockmore last won the title in 1989 when Ray Dempsey and Stephen Staunton of the current team were in action. They had accounted for Stephenites in the quarter final.
Ballina and Knockmore have never met in the final. Stephenites' last final appearances were in 1985 and 1987. In both deciders they defeated Castlebar.
In hurling Young Irelands take on James Stephens in the Kilkenny final at Nowlan Park next Sunday, and it is difficult to believe that Young Irelands, with the talents of D J Carey, Pat O'Neill, Charlie Carter and Martin Carey in their line up, will be playing in their first county final.
D J Carey is fully fit again and recovered from a hamstring injury to lead the Irelands attack. His brother Martin, an All Ireland under 21 medal winner, will play in goal.
James Stephens are far more accustomed to this scene. It hardly seems 16 years though since they won the last of two All Ireland club titles. Two of their best known players are Phil Larkin, a son of the legendary Fan, and Liam O'Connor.
In Clare, Wolfe Tones will be contesting the county's senior hurling final against Anthony Daly's Clarecastle in Shannon on Sunday. Clarecastle can also call on the services of Ger O'Loughlin, Fergus Touhy, Alan Neville and Ken Morrissey from the All Ireland winning panel of last season. The Lohan brothers, Brian and Frank, play for Tones.
