CLARE’S SENIOR HURLERS have been dealt a cruel blow with both Peter Duggan and Rory Hayes at risk of missing their All-Ireland SHC quarter-final due to proposed one-match suspensions.
Proposed one match suspensions are to be issued for Duggan and Hayes following separate incidents from Sunday’s Munster SHC final loss to Limerick. The respective offences were flagged in detail by The Sunday Game which featured Limerick’s Shane Dowling and Brendan Cummins of Tipperary as the analysts.
Duggan clashed with William O’Donoghue and Sean Finn in different altercations while Hayes was involved in a collision with Seamus Flanagan when the Limerick attacker was obstructing the Shannon native.
Appeals are expected to be launched by Clare GAA as the suspension would rule two of their key players out of the quarter-final next weekend against either Wexford or Kerry. County Board officials were informed the proposed bans on Friday afternoon.
Galway forward, Cianán Fahy is also set to receive a one match suspension after he was highlighting standing on Kilkenny captain Richie Reid in the Leinster SHC final.
Wicklow official John Keenan and Wexford’s James Owens who took charge of the Munster and Leinster finals respectively did not caution either of the trio for the offences which received plenty of air time on the RTÉ show.
When a referee does not act against a player, the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) have the authority to implement a suspension for potential red card offences.
The CCCC last took such action against Clare players in 2007 following Semplegate. Andrew Quinn, Barry Nugent, Colin Lynch and Alan Markham all received bans following the intervention of the CCCC after a tunnel incident involving the Clare and Cork hurlers prior to their 2007 provincial clash. Eight four-week bans were proposed by the CCCC with Sean Óg Ó hÁilipín, Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Donal Óg Cusack all sidelined as a result, John Gardiner was given a reprieve from the CHC.
