The GAA's Games Administration Committee (GAC) has criticised both Waterford and Clare for failure to assist the investigation into the incident which led to the injury sustained by Clare wing back Gerry Quinn in the All-Ireland semi-final in August.

Having investigated the matter, the GAC concluded that the player had received a foul blow but felt unable to take the matter any further.

"Despite the best efforts of the committee," according to the statement, "it has not been provided with any evidence to charge the player involved. The committee feels obliged to express its concern at the lack of co-operation from both Clare and Waterford in its efforts to deal with this unsavoury incident and is concerned about the issues it raises in relation to player protection."

Quinn was struck in the closing minutes of the semi-final and had his hand badly broken - the bone was visible as he was stretchered off the field. It was expected that he would miss the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny but in the end managed to play heavily strapped.

Neither county wanted to respond immediately to the GAC statement. "We couldn't say anything about that," said Waterford county secretary Seamus Grant. "It will be discussed at the next meeting, which will be on Monday week, and then we'll decide what response - if any - we want to make."

According to Clare county secretary Pat Fitzgerald: "We wouldn't have a position on that until we've had a chance to consider the statement in the next day or two."

The matter has generated more controversy than any such incident going back to the "mysteriously" broken jaw of Mayo wing back John Finn in another All-Ireland semi-final, the 1985 football match with Dublin.

None of the match officials saw the Quinn incident and the GAC have not been able to find any witnesses to the event who are willing to give evidence. Quinn himself refused to name the player, and Waterford officials say that they didn't see the incident.

A Waterford player, Ken McGrath, was asked to attend the GAC to give evidence but was unable to travel because of work commitments.

Sources in Clare have expressed dissatisfaction about the affair. The county says that it didn't call for an investigation - county chairman Fr Michael McNamara, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, disputed a report in the Irish Examiner, two days after the match, which attributed to him a call for an investigation.

"You have to analyse what does co-operation mean," said one well-laced source. "We were the injured party in this. Everyone else doesn't appear to have seen what happened. One official was within 15 yards and didn't see. I don't think we should have been asked about the identity. You need an independent witness.

"We were asked to the investigation and agreed to appear. We requested that the hearing be postponed until after the All-Ireland final and said that we'd at least come back with the player in question (Gerry Quinn) - which we did."

Meanwhile, further controversy has broken in Donegal over the much stalled county championship match between St Eunan's and Ardara. It could end with the resignation of county chairman Danny Harkin, who has criticised his county board on local radio.

The fixture has been held up because of an objection by Ardara to a St Eunan's player, Edward Brennan. This objection was dismissed by the county board after consultation with Croke Park. It is currently on appeal to the Ulster Council, which has also sought clarification from headquarters.

One of the consequences has been that the county will not have a representative in the Ulster club championship, as the county champions will not be ready for the first round of the provincial championship.

Speaking yesterday on North West Radio, Harkin said the matter, which was heard while he was on holidays, should not have been referred to Croke Park. He said that there were officials on the county board who appeared "to like authority but don't like to have responsibility".

The county executive is believed to be planning an emergency meeting to discuss the remarks.

It's not the first time Harkin has been at the centre of controversy. Earlier in the season he expressed support for the Gaelic Players Association's (GPA) proposal that inter-county players receive a weekly expenses payment - with the qualification that he thought the GPA figure too low. Shortly afterwards the Donegal executive disowned Harkin's remarks.

Finally, Meath's three-time All-Ireland medallist Colm Coyle was last night ratified as the manager of the Monaghan senior football team at a special county committee meeting in Castleblayney. Coyle (39), played his club football with Seneschalstown, but three years ago he moved to St Ultan's, Bohermeen, and coached them to a Meath junior championship title.

As Seneschalstown player-coach he won a Meath title in 1994, and reached the Leinster club final, where his side narrowly lost to eventual All-Ireland winners Kilmacud Crokes.

Coyle is one of only two Meath players, with Martin O'Connell, to hold three All-Ireland medals, from 1987, 1988 and 1996.

He played against Monaghan in the 1984 Centenary Cup final. As well as his All-Ireland medals he is also the holder of three National Football League winners' medals, 1988, 1990 and 1994, and has also represented Leinster in the Railway Cup.

More recently, he has been a Meath selector, replacing Frank Foley in 2001, and he was also named in Sean Boylan's back-up team for this year.