Press Conference Fallout: Mick McCarthy cut a relaxed figure as he explained his reasons for banishing his captain, writes Emmet Malone

With his team's World Cup preparations having descended into turmoil at their tiny Pacific island base of Saipan yesterday, Mick McCarthy cut a dignified and surprisingly relaxed figure as he explained to the 20 or so journalists who have accompanied the Irish squad on the first leg of their World Cup journey why he had decided to send his captain, Roy Keane, home.

No lover of lengthy engagements with the media, McCarthy sat for longer than usual, just short of half an hour, as he related the events of an evening during which he called a squad meeting to discuss complaints made by Keane in an interview with this paper and ended up informing the Manchester United and, until now, Ireland skipper, that his services were no longer required.

"I called a meeting," said McCarthy, "and I asked anybody, certainly Roy, to make his comments rationally and logically, and that didn't happen. I'm afraid that turned into a bit of a slanging match and I'm afraid I cannot and will not tolerate being spoken to with that level of abuse being thrown at me, so I sent him home."

McCarthy was flanked at the top table of the team hotel's otherwise deserted Chinese restaurant by senior squad members Niall Quinn, Alan Kelly, Steve Staunton, and FAI president Milo Corcoran. They later took it turn to endorse the actions of the manager.

Both the players - who had been present at the meeting - and a number of other squad officials appeared genuinely shocked by the extent of Keane's reportedly scathing attack on McCarthy, during which the player is said to have criticised the manager's professional abilities and heaped vulgar personal abuse on him.

"No, no. If somebody wants to reveal the nature of that then it's not coming from me," said McCarthy when asked about the nature of Keane's tirade.

"But I'm not tolerating it. I tried to be reasonable and rational, I didn't want to go to Izumo tomorrow morning and end up with this being the sole topic of conversation, and then on and on and on. And I really wanted to resolve any issues that needed resolving, but I'm afraid that didn't materialise."

McCarthy said he had attempted to deal with Keane's criticisms of the team's training camp, which were published in The Irish Times yesterday. He coolly related how, after opening the meeting with a few short comments, he had invited Keane "as captain" to "air any grievances" he might have.

According to those who attended the meeting Keane responded with a fierce and sustained attack on the manager. An angry exchange followed after which Keane departed. There seems to have been widespread agreement amongst those remaining that McCarthy had been left with absolutely no alternative but to send his captain home.

Alan Kelly, who at a more mundane press conference earlier in the day had considered himself to be probably the closest of any player in the squad to Keane, said: "I have to admit that I was shocked, yeah. I'm not going to lie to you, I was shocked by it. Like I said, I'm behind Mick in what he's done because it wasn't right to say the things that Roy said to him, and I think most of the players that were in the room were shocked by it."

McCarthy's decision ended a difficult week. McCarthy said Keane had announced on Tuesday that he wished to go home because of "personal worries".

Overnight Keane, who McCarthy described yesterday as "one of the best players in the world", was talked into staying by, amongst other people, his club manager Alex Ferguson. But the change of heart caused McCarthy, who had already called in Colin Healy as a replacement, further problems and the manager is reported to have required persuading by senior FAI officials to allow Keane to remain in the party.

When McCarthy heard at lunchtime yesterday that Keane had claimed conditions at the Saipan base - the selection of which the manager had himself supervised - had prompted the midfielder to announce that he would retire from international football at the end of this World Cup, he looked taken aback but declined to comment on the matter.

However, when he was later supplied with a copy of the article, obtained from the internet, by another journalist and read the criticisms, he quickly called the meeting of players and other officials.

After that meeting he maintained he had the full support of everybody who had attended for the action he had taken, and there appeared no reason to doubt the claim.

He remained calm, upbeat and friendly throughout the protracted question-and-answer session, repeating on several occasions that he had taken a decision which he regarded as completely final.

As of last night, the upshot appeared to be that, while still widely regarded as being one of the game's most talented players, Keane has played his last game for his country.

Away from the camp there was talk of initiatives aimed at reconciling the two in time for the player to rejoin the squad ahead of next Saturday's opening game against Cameroon, but nobody within the squad or among the officials appeared to believe there was any way back for Keane.

The only questions that remained were whether FIFA would allow Healy to replace his fellow Corkman after the deadline for the submission of final squad lists had passed.

The young midfielder could never have imagined that his possible call-up would come at he expense of his long-standing hero, who has lost the chance to display his talents in a World Cup he has done so much over the last 18 months to ensure Ireland's presence.

There was speculation last night that Manchester United had chartered a plane to collect Keane from the Irish base in Saipan and fly him back to England.