Title contenders vent their frustration as Turloughmore controversy drags on
The three hurling clubs waiting to fulfil fixtures in the knockout stages of the senior hurling championship – title holders Portumna, Gort and Ardrahan – were to be called into an “informal” meeting yesterday evening (Wednesday) to be updated on the on-going Turloughmore saga.
Speaking to Tribune Sport this week, members of all three management teams have vented their frustration at the current impasse, but they were hoping to secure some clarity on a time-frame for the impending fixtures when their clubs were to sit down with Galway officials last night.
However, there seems to be no end in sight to the controversy after Turloughmore’s appeal against their expulsion from the SHC for fielding an ineligible player was once again thrown-out by the interim County’s Competitions Control Committee (CCC) earlier this week.
While it is understood Turloughmore were informed verbally that their appeal to the CCC was unsuccessful over the weekend, they only received written confirmation on Tuesday due to Monday being a Bank Holiday.
Consequently, they have three days from Tuesday to appeal this decision to Connacht Council’s Hearing Committee. If this again fails, they can once more bring the issue before the Disputes Resolution Authority, which had already sent it back to the reconstituted Galway CCC for re-hearing.
Given the DRA indicated the punishment administered by the previous CCC – Turloughmore’s expulsion from the championship – was “draconian”, with the same sanctions being imposed again, it is anticipated the club will continue to pursue their appeal to Connacht Council and the DRA under “the principles of natural and constitutional justice”.
As a result, this has left reigning county champions Portumna (qualified for the county final), Gort (qualified for the semi-final) and Ardrahan (in the quarter-final) in ‘No-Man’s Land’. Understandably, all three club managers were not happy with the present situation.
“The frustrating thing is not knowing when it is going to be. If somebody came along and said ‘look it, the county final is going to be deferred, it is going to take four weeks to sort this out, the county final is fixed for the 30th of November, then you at least had something to work towards,” said Portumna manager Mike Monaghan.
“This way, you are just going from week to week, from meeting to meeting really. It is the wondering and not knowing. Is it going to be appealed again? Is it going to go to Connacht (Council) or the DRA? Is it going to come back again? That is the frustrating part of it.”
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.