Tipperary minor John Boland will have to serve a month's suspension and will consequently miss next weekend's All-Ireland final against Kilkenny.
Boland was sent off during a county minor championship match between his club Toomevara and Kilruane McDonaghs on August 14th. The county board approved the decision of the northern divisional board to overturn the player's red card on the basis of the referee's report, which said that it had been an error.
Such a decision is no longer possible under the terms of a presidential ruling by Seán McCague issued two weeks ago. This was in response to the Darragh Ó Sé controversy, which saw the Kerry county board rescind a straight red card against the county captain on the basis of a referee's report.
McCague ruled that a straight red card could be overturned only with the support of video evidence and no longer on the basis of a referee's report. Tipperary resisted this, but after a meeting with the GAA's management committee at the weekend, received a ruling that any player shown a straight red card would have to serve a month's suspension - which effectively rules Boland out for Sunday.
The same matter has also arisen in Meath with county panellist Anthony Moyles playing for his club Blackhall Gaels despite being shown a red card the previous week. The referee had rescinded the card, but there is no video evidence to support the retraction.
Blackhall Gaels surprisingly defeated county champions Dunshaughlin, who have until today to lodge an objection if they hope to re-enter the championship.
Meanwhile, the Gaelic Players' Association chief executive Dessie Farrell visited Cork yesterday to address a meeting of members of the Cork county hurling panel who have been in dispute with the county board in recent weeks. Farrell admitted that discussions with Croke Park on the subject of recognition for the players' union and the proposal for a weekly allowance of €127 were not going well and that players "were becoming very militant".
Defending champions Tyrone have injury worries over three key players ahead of Saturday's All-Ireland under-21 football semi-final against Dublin at Breffni Park. Seán Kavanagh, Ciarán Carland, and Dermot Carlin all face fitness battles.
Former Dublin player Aileen Lawlor has been appointed as referee for this year's All-Ireland camogie championship final between Tipperary and Cork on Sunday, September 15th.
