Monaghan GAA respond to anti-doping committee’s ‘serious concern’

Monaghan County Board chairman Pádraig Sherry has responded to the GAA anti-doping committee's "serious concern" about the lack of understanding and application of rules in the Thomas Connolly case.

Connolly received a two-year suspension after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol on February 13th.

Sherry confirmed that an email sent on January 12th by Croke Park administrator Ruairí Harvey, containing updated information on doping sanctions, was not relayed to the Monaghan players.

This is despite county board secretary Anita Finnegan informing The Irish Times "the email was sent to the relevant personnel".

Finnegan confirmed that she forwarded the email to Sherry and the football panel’s liaison officer Garrett Coyle.

Such importance

“I am self-employed and I get loads of emails every day and lots of them I don’t open because they are not of any relevance to me,” said Sherry.

“What I pointed out [at the hearing] was an email of such importance should have been flagged to me [by Finnegan] and that it is very important and that I need to act on this. I didn’t say I didn’t receive it, I said I didn’t see it.

“It didn’t get to the team,” Sherry continued. “The county secretary emailed it on to the doctor who is also a volunteer and the liaison offer who is also a volunteer.

“It wasn’t mentioned in a Monaghan dressingroom at all. I can stand over that. And it was never mentioned to the new lads coming in.”

Harvey's email "specifically drew attention to the increased sanctions for anti-doping violations" to four years. However, the anti-doping committee – chaired by Adrian Colton QC (chair), Dr Pat O'Neill and former GAA president Nickey Brennan – decided Connolly did not knowingly dope, therefore handing down a ban of two rather than four years.

“The committee found this the most difficult aspect of the entire case,” read the report. “Having considered the matter carefully and having regard to all the evidence and submissions, we have come to the view that the athlete has established the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional.”

Sherry and O’Rourke both attended the hearing, answering questions on behalf of Monaghan GAA and in defence of Connolly. “The email to the county secretary asks that the email with the booklet in relation to anti-doping which was attached be circulated to members of management teams within the county and to anyone involved with them,” the report continued.

“Mr Pádraig Sherry, the Monaghan chairman, indicated that he had never seen this email and that the information had not been circulated as requested.”

It's also confirmed that in November 2014 the Monaghan physiotherapist attended a medical conference in Croke Park, when the same information was relayed, and wallet cards with anti-doping information were distributed by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA).

Club ranks

Connolly is not a member of the

GPA

but this defence, a lack of education as he was a recent arrival up from the club ranks, was not accepted by the committee, while it was also noted the 23-year-old had represented his county at minor and under-21 level.

There is no testing of GAA members at club or underage level. The identity of the work colleague who supplied Connolly with steroids was revealed to the hearing but a name has not been released.

The report added: “Not withstanding this finding the committee is seriously concerned about the apparent lack of understanding and application of the anti-doping rules and processes at county level in this case.

“Whilst we were impressed by the evidence of Messrs (Feargal) McGill and Harvey in respect of anti-doping education at central level, we would urge the GAA to intensify its work to ensure that all players, county officers, coaches, managers, medical and allied sports science personnel and players representatives are fully cognizant of their obligations under the association’s anti-doping rules.”

It appears Connolly will not be appealing the suspension although he has until the July 7th deadline to so do.