Galvin case to be heard today

GAELIC GAMES/DISCIPLINARY NEWS:A SPECIALLY convened Central Hearings Committee will re-hear the Paul Galvin case in Dublin today.

Described by GAA director general Paraic Duffy as a "one-off" scenario, no members of the actual CHC will be present.

The Disputes Resolution Authority sent Galvin's six-month suspension back into the GAA disciplinary process last week, citing "procedural irregularities" at CHC level. This was not elaborated on, nor would the GAA confirm who is sitting on this disciplinary panel.

"It is a committee established specifically to hear this case," explained Duffy. "The original committee can't hear it again. This new committee will be set up to hear Paul Galvin's case only. It is a new group of people."

Speaking at the launch of the under-21 hurling championship in Croke Park yesterday, Duffy, flanked by incoming GAA president Christy Cooney, refused to go into any details on the case although both men confirmed that details explaining the DRA decision will eventually be released.

The Kerry footballer was suspended for 24 weeks after the Munster championship game against Clare on June 15th.

When asked about how ongoing disciplinary issues, particularly the Galvin case, continue to dominate the GAA landscape during the championship, Duffy said: "I don't really want to say too much about the Paul Galvin case. We have dealt with cases as quickly as we possibly could. In some instances players have decided to wait before going to the next stage and that is their right."

This was a reference to Galvin stalling on approaching the DRA until close to the Munster football final to avoid hindering his teammates' preparation.

"The GAA now has systems in place whereby cases can be dealt with very, very quickly," continued Duffy. "For example, if an incident happens on a weekend a player can probably have a hearing within a couple of days and have an appeal within a couple of days.

"I accept that this case you have mentioned is rather different. But there are systems in place that allow the cases to be heard very, very quickly if a player chooses to do that."

Another disciplinary issue sure to gain plenty of attention this week is that of Down midfielder Dan Gordon, shown a straight red card by Longford referee Derek Fahy in last Saturday's qualifier victory over Laois in Portlaoise.

Television replays clearly show Gordon only made shoulder-to-shoulder contact with Laois midfielder Pádraig Clancy.

This is the third high-profile incident involving Fahy this summer, as he was the referee who reported Monaghan's Paul Finlay, who subsequently had an eight-week suspension upheld, for verbal abuse and also showed Kerry's Marc Ó Sé a straight red card in the Munster final against Cork.

This decision was overturned by the CHC. It appears a similar situation could unfold for Gordon as the CCCC cannot ask Fahy to revisit an issue to downgrade a sanction, only to upgrade in order to make a player liable to suspension.