DCU subject remains testy Sigerson Cup

DCU head of sport Niall Moyna has criticised the Comhairle Árdoideachais (CA) after the higher education committee denied Ross Munnelly a place in the university's Sigerson Cup team.

Although the 12-week suspensions of DCU's four inter-county players were overturned by the Central Appeals Committee (CAC), the CA have confirmed that three of them - Munnelly, Dessie Dolan and Shane Ryan - are still ineligible.

A decision on Wexford footballer Diarmuid Kinsella has been postponed, pending further information from DCU, as he recently switched to a full-time Masters course.

All four were initially suspended for playing in the league semi-final against Sligo IT on November 30th while not meeting the requirements of a full-time student.

"We play our first Sigerson game this Wednesday (against Garda), so we would be keen for this not to become a circus. But the bottom line is I have zero confidence in that committee," said Moyna. He added: "The GAA needs to take a strong look at their structures.

"Not a single third level institution formally complained about us.

"If DCU were to ask for registration information on every other third level team, I'm sure we would find several skeletons."

The CAC overturned the bans on a technicality: the wrong committee heard the cases.

The CA met last Friday after DCU sought clarification regarding Munnelly and Kinsella. Both now claim to be full-time post graduate students.

"The original determinations we made still stand," said CA chairman John Devaney.

"Regarding Diarmuid Kinsella, he may be eligible to play because he changed course. We need further clarification from DCU."

Munnelly reached the 60 credits required under rule 30b(i) of the CA bye-laws by adding four subjects to his Education Masters, while Kinsella swapped courses from an Investment and Treasury Masters to a full-time Research Masters.

The CA rejected Munnelly's new subjects on the grounds they were not directly related to the Education Masters.

"I feel particularly for Ross Munnelly, who has the required 60 credits," added Moyna.

"We are playing Garda next Wednesday and he would be doing less work than many of their players. A requirement for his course, the Masters in Education, is he must work, and he does about 12 hours teaching a week. Remarkably, he even lives on campus."

Ironically, Munnelly and Kinsella would probably be unavailable as both are injured.

The CA were also involved in a dispute resolution authority hearing last night regarding a separate eligibility case of two players seeking to line out for University of Ulster, Jordanstown.