Limerick will appeal dismissal of their objection in Hawk-Eye case

Limerick will appeal yesterday’s dismissal of their objection to last weekend’s All-Ireland minor hurling semi-final. The county initiated the action after an error by the GAA’s score detection system Hawk-Eye resulted in a first-minute point being disallowed. Limerick lost to Galway in extra time.

In a statement posted on the county’s website last night, Limerick GAA expressed “their disappointment with the outcome of the objection lodged with the CCCC based on the acknowledged failure of the Hawk-Eye score detection system in last Sunday’s All Ireland minor hurling semi-final.

"We can confirm that we will pursue this matter through all available channels and, to this end, we will now be lodging an appeal with Central Appeals Committee."

Initial verdict
The initial verdict from the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee was issued yesterday evening stating: "The CCCC met in Thurles today to consider an objection from Limerick in relation to last weekend's Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor hurling semi-final at Croke Park.

“The CCCC is precluded by Rule 7.10 (n) from considering the objection: ‘No objection or counter-objection maybe submitted on grounds that a referee had incorrectly allowed or failed to allow a score.”

Unlike in disciplinary matters, the recourse from CCCC in respect of an objection is not to the Central Hearings Committee but the Central Appeals Committee. Should Limerick fail again, the remaining avenue would be the GAA’s independent arbitration tribunal, the Disputes Resolution Authority.

To succeed there Limerick would have to see overturned a DRA decision coincidentally originating in the county - a ruling on a football match in 2005 between Fr Casey’s and St Senan’s, which gave rise to a challenge from the former, based on a refereeing error during the match:

"If Fr. Casey's are correct that there was a mistake in this case and that it changed the outcome of the game, then one must have sympathy for them. However, even if they are right on both of these issues, this cannot allow for an erosion of the principle of referees' control.

Blanket protection
"How an error at any particular stage in a game will affect the outcome is something of an imponderable, and the fact that injustice will occasionally result from a blanket protection of referees' decisions is a consequence that must be borne by all. It is the lesser evil."

There is a degree of urgency, as the minor All-Ireland final is scheduled for Sunday week with Waterford awaiting Galway, who have made it clear that they will not be offering a re-match to Limerick.