The ongoing row between the Carlow county board and supporters' club has reached an impasse. Although further meetings are planned in the county this week, the mediation attempts of the Leinster Council have reached a standstill pending a change of heart on the part of the protagonists.

Whereas no-one involved in the mediation process is willing to comment on the matter, a Leinster Council source put it: "We have reached an impasse after two meetings in Croke Park and Portlaoise.

Basically we couldn't solve it but we have left the door open and it's up to themselves if they want us to intervene again."

It is now nearly a month since the matter reached a head with the disbandment of the supporters' club following a county committee vote of 23-3. The action triggered the resignation of Bobby Miller as manager of the county footballers and the consequent withdrawal of the players from a scheduled NFL fixture in Mayo.

Although the match never took place, the Games Administration Committee of the GAA did not officially postpone the match but held its fire until the results of any conciliation procedures became clear - leaving open the prospect of awarding the match to Mayo.

One avenue of possibility being explored tonight is that the county committee can be persuaded to revoke its earlier decision. To that end the supporters' club has asked to meet representatives of the clubs in the county to plead their case for reinstatement.

Tomorrow the county committee meets for the first time since taking the decision to disband the supporters' club last month. Should that decision be revoked, Bobby Miller has indicated that he would consider returning as football manager. Given the size of the vote at the last meeting, it is, however, difficult to see how a proposal to revoke the decision would secure the required two thirds majority.

Mediation between the county officers and the supporters' club officials has been torturous. On neither of the occasions when the Leinster Council delegation, under the chairmanship of Kildare's Seamus Aldridge, met the other parties did the two sides sit down together. Such discussions, as have taken place, have been on the basis of parallel meetings.

Meanwhile, the GAC will announce today the fate of Dublin footballer Paul Curran over his involvement in an incident in which Offaly centre back Finbar Cahill lost three teeth. Last night the committee met at Croke Park to consider their investigation and what action if any to take.

Suspended Cork and Castlehaven footballer Niall Cahalane made an appearance on Radio One's Liveline yesterday. During a lengthy interview he indicated that he had agreed to become one of the selectors of this season's Cork minor footballers but that his involvement in that also now stands suspended together with his playing career.

Speaking of his suspension, he said: "As I have said in any interview, I've no problem with the suspension that was handed down to me. I'm not bitter towards it and I haven't said in any interview that I'm bitter towards the GAA over it."

Meanwhile, University College Dublin last night awarded three hurling scholarships worth £3,000 for three years. The awards were the third in the series sponsored by Guinness.

Other universities to benefit from the scheme are University of Limerick and University College Cork. University College Galway will be included next year.

UCD recipients are: Pat Fitzgerald (Waterford), Hugh Flannery (Dublin) and Aodan de Paor (Dublin). UL presented scholarships at the weekend to David Forde, an All-Ireland medallist with Clare, Michael Healy, who captained Galway in last year's All-Ireland minor final and Jimmy Coogan from Kilkenny.

Previously UCC had awarded scholarships to Cork senior and under-21 All-Ireland medallist Joe Deane, Danny Murphy captain of that under-21 team, Dave Bennett of Waterford and Tipperary's John Enright, man of the match in UCC's Fitzgibbon Cup win over the Garda College last March.

The death has occurred of John Joyce who captained Galway to the minor All-Ireland football title in 1986. Aged 29, he died in a fall at the weekend while on holidays in the Canary Islands. A centrefielder of great promise from the Salthill club, his senior career was restricted by injury.