O'Meara to miss final after GAC ban

Tipperary's Brian O'Meara has been given a four-week suspension and will be unable to play in the All-Ireland final against Galway on September 9th. The decision was announced yesterday after the GAA's Games Administration Committee met on Monday night.

O'Meara was sent-off along with Wexford's Liam Dunne in the course of the semi-final replay earlier this month, the result of an off-the-ball incident where both players were seen to indulge in some close-range sparring with their hurls.

Wexford's Michael Jordan, who was sent-off in the same game, received a 12-week suspension from the date of the game.

Tipperary manager Nicky English expressed his obvious disappointment at the loss of O'Meara ahead of the final, "but we'll just have to press on from here," he said.

O'Meara had travelled to Monday's personal hearing, along with a number of Tipperary officials, in the hope that the GAC would show some leniency.

O'Meara has continued to train with the panel, and will be available should the game go to a replay.

Tom Carr, meanwhile, looks set to continue as Dublin football manager, despite yesterday's announcement that he now faces a 24-week suspension. The GAC handed down the penalty following their hearing into Carr's pitch incursion during the drawn All-Ireland quarter-final with Kerry earlier this month.

The suspension starts from the date of the GAC meeting and, as it involves a non-playing offence, the "off-season" scenario does not take effect. It means his ban will end on February 11th, 2002. With the football league not due to begin until the start of February, his role in inter-county matches will be largely unaffected.

According to Dublin county board chairman John Bailey, the suspension handed down to Carr will have no effect on his position as manager. Carr, however, has yet to confirm his own plans for the future.

"Of course it is bad news for him and the players and all of Dublin football," said Bailey, "but there was never an issue of this ending his role as manager. He has a contract with us that will see him through another year."

Though Carr was "shattered" with the news, he has yet to indicate when he will announce his plans for the future. Bailey was nonetheless confident that, with the support of the players and the county board, he would remain on as manager for at least another year.

Elsewhere, Croke Park announced the dates and venues for the remaining fixtures in the under-21 championships. The hurling final will take place in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, on Sunday September 16th, and the football final between Mayo and Cork or Tyrone will take place on Saturday, October 6th.

If Cork defeat Tyrone in the semi-final, scheduled for Parnell Park on September 9th, the game will be played in Ennis. If Tyrone emerge as victors, the game will be played in Sligo.

The Dublin County Board has expressed its sympathy to the Cotter family on the death of former Dublin board chairman Don Cotter, who died on Monday night following a heart attack. This has been a most tragic time for the family following the death of Don's daughter and grand-daughter the weekend before last in a car accident.

The death has also taken place of former Kerry All-Ireland winner John Joe Landers, part of the All-Ireland winning teams of 1929-1932 and again in 1937.