Ball back in Tipperary court

The Games Administration Committee of the GAA have informed officials in Tipperary and Fermanagh that their delayed B championship semi-final is to go ahead on a date suitable to both teams. The Tipperary management were yesterday considering the latest development having already decided to claim the game following Fermanagh's failure to fulfil the original fixture.

"This is really down to the GAC trying to promote a competition. With the B championship, the arrangement has been that games have been played on both Saturdays and Sundays in the interests of developing the competition as a whole and now, we are trying to facilitate both teams as best as possible. There has been a difficulty in finding a suitable date for this semi-final and, with apologies to Antrim, who await the winners in the final, these things happen," said Sean O'Laoire of the GAC yesterday.

While there had been suggestions that the GAC were insisting upon the game being played this Sunday in Templemore, they clarified yesterday morning that no such stipulations had been imposed. That date would have presented a personnel problem for Tipperary as Derry Foley (who recently confirmed his immediate inter-county retirement after the International Rules series in Australia), Liam Cronin and All-Star Declan Browne will all be on club duty for Moyle Rovers.

Fermanagh did not meet the original fixture due to a similar clash of interests; they had hoped to arrange the semi-final for a Saturday to avoid a clash between that game and Enniskillen Gaels Ulster club championship match against Burren. When this didn't transpire, Fermanagh failed to field a team and Tipperary subsequently voted to claim the game. However, the GAC are still insisting that the semi-final be played and the Tipperary management and county board were yesterday deciding how best to proceed. They had felt that Fermanagh's failure to meet the original fixture entitled them to claim the game.

Meanwhile, the referee's report on the Bellaghy-Castleblayney Ulster championship clash was due to arrive with the Ulster Council today but it was confirmed that no disciplinary action will be taken prior to the Derry champions Ulster quarter final match against St Eunan's of Letterkenny in Ballinascreen on Sunday.

Ulster club vice chairman John O'Reilly was present when the full scale fight broke out in Omagh at the end of normal time and afterwards it was declared that a thorough investigation would take place.

While forward Louis McPeake, sent off for two bookable offences last Sunday is eligible for selection, substitute Danny Quinn remains unavailable. It was confirmed yesterday that both he and Castleblayney forward Peter Duffy were cited by referee Martin McBrien for striking opponents.

The Derry club are firmly backing their veteran defender's reputation, declaring that he had initially got involved in the row as a peacemaker.

"Danny went into the melee to try and break things up as one of the Bellaghy players, in particular, was taking a lot of punches. But then Danny started getting punched himself," said a club spokesperson earlier this week.

"After the initial blows rained in on Danny, he tried to ignore them as the TV pictures show, but eventually and inevitably he had to retaliate to defend himself."

The Kilkenny senior hurling final will be the live televised game on TG4 this Sunday. Defending champions Graigue-Ballycallan take on Glenmore, one of the dominant club teams in the region throughout the nineties.

Graigue-Ballycallan have built a resurgent force around such players as Denis Byrne, Adrian Ronan and John Hoyne after enduring almost five decades without a county title while Glenmore will again feature the O'Connor brothers, Willie and Eddie, each seeking their first county title since 1995.

Preliminary work has begun on the demolition of the Hogan stand. The structure is currently being stripped of salvageable materials.