THIS WEEKEND'S Sigerson Cup football competition has fallen victim to yet further objection to the progress of the Garda College, one of the four semi-finalists due to play tomorrow afternoon. As feared, Cork IT, who lost to Garda College in a rescheduled quarter-final on Tuesday, have objected to that result over the eligibility of three of the Garda players.
It means the semi-finals and final, due to be hosted by Carlow IT tomorrow and on Saturday, will not take place as scheduled. Comhairle Ardoideachais (CAO), the governing body of the higher-education competitions, instead explored the possibility of playing the other semi-final between UUJ and DIT at the scheduled final time on Saturday and that was agreed. But it could still be several weeks before the final is played.
GMIT were due to play Garda in the other semi-final.
The other three competitions in the tournament - the Trench Cup, the Corn na MacLeinn, and the Further Education championship finals - will take place at Carlow IT this weekend as scheduled, but the postponement of the flagship final is a blow to both the host college, and all the teams involved.
"It is hugely disappointing," said Jack Devaney, chair of CAO. "Carlow IT have put so much work into this . . . But it's not their fault, and it's not our fault. The objection has been lodged and we need time to deal with it."
CAO will most likely hear the Cork IT objection tomorrow evening, but the Garda College can still appeal that decision to the GAA's Central Appeals Committee (CAC), as they did after the objection lodged by Carlow IT.
Garda College had beaten Cork IT by 1-10 to 1-8 in Tuesday's quarter-final, which was rescheduled because of the previous objection over the eligibility of the Garda player Graham Dillon, and resulted in CAO initially expelling the Templemore side on the basis that Dillon was ineligible for the defeat of Carlow IT nearly three weeks ago, only for the CAC to reinstate them on Monday.
Dillon again played in Tuesday's win, only after Carlow IT decided against pursuing a further appeal to the CAC decision because, as hosts of the Sigerson weekend, they would have been jeopardising their own event.
As it turns out Cork IT have done just that, yet not without reason. Rule 31 (b) (iii) of the section entitled Eligibility governs the matter and states: ". . . a student pursuing such a course (policing studies) shall be eligible to play in his first academic year if he commences a module before 31st January of that academic year but he shall not be eligible to play any more than two academic years while on any such course."
Dillon was eligible for the 2005-06 season though he didn't play. He then played last season, 2006-07 and again this year. CAO took the view that it was immaterial to Dillon's case that he hadn't played two seasons ago, as the rule simply regulates eligibility, and that the player was eligible for the maximum two academic years, 2006 and 2007, and then had played again in 2008.
But the CAC decided the rule didn't mean what it was intended to mean and that the player was clear to play in this, his third year.
