Thomas Connolly, who has represented Monaghan at senior level, has been banned for two years after testing positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid.
The GAA and the Irish Sports Council issued the following joint statement.
The GAA and the Irish Sports Council jointly announce that the GAA Anti-Doping Hearings Committee determined that player Thomas Connolly has committed an anti-doping rule violation.
Thomas Connolly, a GAA player from Monaghan, has been sanctioned by a period of ineligibility of 2 years commencing on the 18th March 2015 – the date on which he was provisionally suspended by the GAA, subject to rights of appeal within 21 days under the Irish Anti-Doping Rules. This was a reduction from the standard period of 4 years' ineligibility because the GAA Anti-Doping Hearings Committee was of the view that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional, under article 10.1.3 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules. In an out of competition doping control test on the 13th February he provided a sample which tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance, 3’-hydroxystanozolol glucuronide (Stanozolol).
The hearing was held on under Article 8 (Disciplinary Process) of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules and this announcement is made pursuant to Article 15 (Public Disclosure) of the Rules.
Connolly plays for Latton O'Rahilly GFC and has also played for Monaghan at minor level.
Revelations that a player from Monaghan had tested positive first emerged last month when it was reported by the Sunday Times and the Sunday Independent.
Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
