Erin's Isle player Charlie Redmond and Donal Keane of Sarsfields will have to watch their teams from the stands in the respective All-Ireland club football and hurling finals at Croke Park on St Patrick's Day after their appeals to the Central Council of the GAA were turned down last night.

The decision effectively means the end of Redmond's playing career. Accompanied by Finglas club official Mick Seevers to the hastily-arranged Central Council meeting in Ceannarus last night, which was called to hear the two appeals, Redmond made a personal plea against the Games Administration Committee's decision to impose a four week suspension for his dismissal in last month's semi-final win over Castlehaven.

In the original hearing by the GAC, the former Dublin star had argued that the offence for which he was sent off was a result of an accidental challenge but, in this appeal, the onus was on him to prove that the GAC had erred in making that decision and that the appropriate rule was misapplied.

In accordance with precedent, the Central Council upheld the ban after deciding that the GAC did not err in imposing it. A source within the GAC claimed that only two out of 50 members cast any doubt on the sentence. The appeal was the final route if Redmond was to play in next Tuesday's final against Corofin. It brings a curtain down on a career which saw him play an important role in Dublin's All-Ireland success in 1995.

Keane's appeal against the four-week suspension imposed for his dismissal in the hurling semi-final replay win over Dunloy of Antrim was heard first and, in his case, it was also felt that the GAC had not erred in imposing the sentence.