Brennan and Maloney face ban

GAELIC GAMES DIGEST: KILKENNY'S EDDIE Brennan and Hugh Maloney of Tipperary are facing four-week suspensions in the wake of last Sunday's National Hurling League Division One final in Thurles.

The GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee met on Thursday to consider incidents during the match and proposed the suspensions. Both players can exercise their right to a personal hearing before Croke Park's Central Hearings Committee.

Should they accept the proposed suspensions neither would miss their counties' first championship match as Tipperary face Cork on May 31st and Kilkenny's campaign does not start until next month. Both players were ticked by referee John Sexton in respect of the separate incidents.

At the Gaelic Writers' Association's annual awards presentation in Dublin last night, former Irish Times GAA correspondent Paddy Downey, who retired in 1994, received a Lifetime Achievement award. Other media figures to be honoured were the Examiner's Jim O'Sullivan, who retires next month, and Peadar O'Brien, formerly of the Irish Sun and Irish Press.

Six legendary players were inducted into the GWA Hall of Fame, hurlers Jimmy Barry-Murphy, who won All-Irelands as a player and manager with Cork, Tipperary's All-Ireland record- holder with eight medals John Doyle, and Kilkenny's DJ Carey, who holds the record for All Star awards with nine.

Three footballers, Peter Canavan, who captained Tyrone to their first All-Ireland in 2003, Mick O'Dwyer, who won 12 senior All-Irelands with Kerry as player and manager before going on to further success managing Kildare, Laois and Wicklow, and 1970s Dublin icon Jimmy Keaveney.

Meanwhile, details of RTÉ's coverage of the championships were announced yesterday. Along with a schedule of 40 live matches, presented by Michael Lyster, the programmes will include a number of special features to mark the GAA's 125th anniversary.

This begins with a special tribute tomorrow week with guests including GAA director general, Páraic Duffy, GAA president Christy Cooney, as well as well-known personalities.

WRITERS' ASSOCIATION AWARDS

HALL OF FAME: Jimmy Barry-Murphy (Cork), John Doyle (Tipperary), DJ Carey (Kilkenny), Jimmy Keaveney (Dublin), Peter Canavan (Tyrone), Mick O'Dwyer (Kerry).

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: Paddy Downey ( The Irish Times), Peadar O'Brien ( Irish Sun), Jim O'Sullivan ( Irish Examiner).

SPECIAL MERIT AWARD: Nickey Brennan (former GAA president), Danny Lynch (former GAA PRO).

PRO OF THE YEAR: Ed Donnelly (Tipperary).