Last night, the GAA's disciplinary board the CCCC ruled on the meleé that marred the end of the fantastic All-Ireland SFC quarterfinal between Galway and Armagh. As expected, Tiernan Kelly has been hit with a massive ban for his role in an incident, but other bans and fines have been issued as well.
The CCCC have issued a six-month ban on non-playing squad member Tiernan Kelly for eye-gouging Damien Comer.
RTÉ have reported that Conor Turbitt and Blaine Hughes of Armagh and Galway’s Cathal Sweeney have been hit one-match bans.
The Irish Independent are reporting that the red cards to Séan Kelly and Aidan Nugent have been upheld, meaning each face a one-match ban. Armagh's Greg McCabe, who was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle, has been handed a proposed two-match ban.
Both counties have been reportedly fined €10,000 for the incident.
Armagh released a statement saying they would not be appealing the decision.
“Following the investigation carried out by the CCCC, Armagh GAA can confirm the players and county board have accepted the proposed penalties. There will be no further comment."
It's unclear as yet if Galway will appeal the suspensions for Kelly and Sweeney. It's still unclear what exactly Séan Kelly did to merit a red card. He'd be a massive loss for next weekend's All-Ireland semifinal against Derry
Six month ban for Tiernan Kelly
Tiernan Kelly's ban is one of the longest GAA bans in recent memory.
With a host of pundits, players and fans condemning the Armagh man's actions, his club Clann Eireann released a statement earlier in the week, supporting their player.
"As a club, the well-being of our playing members is of the utmost importance to us. As a club, and a family, we will support and protect Tiernan and his family from those who don't know him. The vilification of Tiernan on social media over the last few days has been both unjust and unfair. Tiernan has been, and always will be, a great ambassador for our club. Anyone who knows him, will know the dedication and hard work he puts into both his club and county, along with the time he spends coaching and encouraging our young Gaels. His dedication to the GAA, both on the field and behind the scenes, has been nothing short of amazing. One moment does NOT define a man. The GAA will have its due process regarding the issue. We would ask people to let this process take place before making judgement. #ForwardTogether #healthandwellbeingforall"
The fact that Armagh is not appealing the Tiernan Kelly ban draws a line under the incident. The ban extends to the upcoming club season and Tiernan Kelly will be eligible to play for Armagh next January.
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