Offaly GAA supporter hit with 96 week ban as star Kilcormac-Killoughey players hit with two match suspensions

THE fallout from Kilcormac-Killoughey's recent Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship defeat by Ballyhale Shamrocks has continued with a number of suspensions proposed by Leinster Council.

A well known Offaly and Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA supporter has been hit with a proposed 96 week ban for incidents after the game.

In his 40s, Brendan Monaghan was given the ban by the Leinster Council Competitions Control Committee after going onto the pitch and swinging a punch at a Ballyhale Shamrocks player after they beat Kilcormac-Killoughey in Nowlan Park – before being restrained by Kilcormac-Killoughey defender Jordan Quinn.

He has the option of contesting the suspension at the Leinster Council Hearings Committee but will have to appeal to them by Sunday if this is pursued. The ban will suspend him from all GAA activity.

Two star players have been hit with two match suspensions for incidents during or after the game. Flying forward Charlie Mitchell has been banned for two matches after being reported for a strike that has ruled star Ballyhale forward Adrian Mullen out of action with a hand injury.

Long serving defensive powerhouse Cillian Kiely has also been hit with a two match ban after being sanctioned for striking in the after match melee, which escalated when the supporter emerged from the stand and approached the players. Kiely was shown a red card by the referee Padraig Dunne, from Laois in that late eruption.

Both those bans will apply in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship next year – Mullen's injury drew plenty of anger in Ballyhale while the incidents with the supporter attracted national attention, with some people putting very unsavoury and unhelpful comments and posts out on social media.

Gardai arrested the supporter after the incident, which was captured by live television cameras, mobile phone footage and photgraphers.

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A passionate Offaly and Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA supporter, Monaghan has followed Offaly teams all over the country for years. His name was well known to most observers at the game and Leinster Council have now imposed the long ban, deeming that it was sufficiently serious to justify the 96 weeks.

He was reported by the referee for disruptive conduct.