Dublin and Kilkenny deny hotel claims

Both Dublin and Kilkenny have been quick to distance themselves from media reports of an incident involving GAA personnel on team holiday in South Africa. The Dublin County Board released a statement through their chief executive John Costello disassociating the county from any involvement in the incident.

"I wish to confirm that no member of the Dublin senior football team party was involved in any hotel incident while holidaying in South Africa," said Costello. "Last evening (Saturday) I spoke to team manager Tommy Lyons who assured me that no Dublin player was involved in any unsavoury incident during the course of their current holiday . . . Any statement indicating Dublin's involvement in any incident in Cape Town is libellous and will be dealt with accordingly."

According to some reports, the general manager of the Cullinan Hotel in Cape Town, where Dublin and Kilkenny are staying, claims that some drunken naked players threw furniture into the hotel swimming pool.

Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody has also stressed that none of his hurlers were involved in the incident. "I'm not in the business of babysitting my players, but to the best of my knowledge, the Kilkenny players have not been involved in any incident," he said. "I certainly wasn't called in by the hotel management."

Meanwhile, there will be no official statement on the crisis in Kerry football until tomorrow night's county board meeting at the earliest. Yesterday afternoon the senior football management met county chairman Sean Walsh and county secretary Eamonn O'Sullivan to discuss the controversy that prompted fitness coach John O'Keeffe to decline to take training at the weekend.

O'Keeffe and team manager Páidí Ó Sé and the other selectors attended the meeting with the county officers. Whereas no details have emerged it seems likely that neither O'Keeffe nor any other selector has pushed matters as far as resignation. Had that happened there would be no reason for the meeting's deliberations to have been kept under wraps until tomorrow.

Although the official training session at Banna Strand on Saturday was cancelled a number of players held an informal session of their own.

Whatever has been agreed by yesterday's meeting will go to the executive tonight before being announced at tomorrow's county board meeting. According to county PRO Willie O'Connor there will be a public statement tomorrow night or on Wednesday morning.