DONEGAL county board is likely to make a ‘request for leniency’ to Central Council following the proposal to issue Jim McGuinness with an eight-week sideline ban for fielding an underage player in a senior inter-county game.
Glenties defender Finbarr Roarty made his Donegal senior debut against Armagh last Wednesday night in Ballybofey in a Dr McKenna Cup opener.
It is understood Roarty, who was also issued with a two-week ban proposal as per rule, turned 18 the day after the Armagh game – but the rulebook states a player must be 18 before January 1 to be eligible to play senior inter-county football that season.
Roarty, therefore, will not be eligible to play senior for the rest of 2024.
It is understood a post-match media interview given by the returning Donegal manager, Jim McGuinness, where he praised young Roarty, drew attention to an obscure rule infringement.
Former Donegal defender Eamon McGee was mystified that McGuinness would take the hit for what was an administrative error.
“I’ve never seen it before – or somebody would need to point it out to me – that the manager gets a suspension over an administrative error. It’s a rare one,” McGee said.
“He [Roarty] was illegal but I would imagine it was a genuine mistake.”
The rule states the ‘person(s) in charge of the team’ incurs an eight-week suspension if they are found in breach.
No-one, however, doubts that the fielding of Roarty was an honest mistake and it is anticipated McGuinness will not have to serve anything remotely near the proposed eight weeks once Central Council convenes on Saturday January 27.
Even though the rule infringement occurred in a provincial competition, it is passed up to national level.
Donegal host Cork in their NFL Division Two opener on Sunday January 28 – and it would be a major surprise if the Glenties man is not on the sideline.
Armagh had up until 6.30pm on Saturday evening to lodge an objection – but didn’t take up this option – which means the game with Donegal, which they lost by 16 points, will be deemed null and void and no points will be retrospectively awarded to the Orchard men.
Meanwhile, Jarlath Og Burns has reversed his decision to step away from the Armagh panel after being named among the Orchard substitutes to face Tyrone in tonight’s Dr McKenna Cup tie at Box-It Athletic Grounds.
One of the leading players in Kieran McGeeney’s squad for the past couple of seasons, the versatile Silverbridge man felt he needed time away from the inter-county scene at the end of the 2023 campaign.
In an Irish News interview in October, Jarlath senior confirmed his 24-year-old son was giving Armagh a break.
But the player has had a change of heart, which comes as great news to Armagh fans.
The highly-rated Ciaron O’Hanlon is also named among the subs having endured a series of injuries that curtailed his playing time over the past couple of seasons.
Stephen Sheridan has hung up his inter-county boots, though, with the high point of his Armagh career coming in the 2017 season when the team reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Far from being at full strength, Armagh’s team does have a more familiar look about it compared with the U20 side that faced Donegal last Wednesday night.
Mark Shields and Niall Rowland are back for another campaign while Maghery duo Ciaran Higgins and Ben Crealey are named to start together in midfield.
Aaron McKay, Tiernan Kelly, Connaire Mackin and Oisin O’Neill will start while Burns, Niall Grimley, O’Hanlon and Jemar Hall give Kieran McGeeney options from the bench.
Armagh (v Tyrone): S Magill; T McCormack, A McKay, P McGrane; C Mackin, N Rowland, M Shields; C Higgins, B Crealey; J Sheridan, C O’Neill, T Kelly; C McConville, O O’Neill, D McMullan Subs: D O’Hagan, J Kieran, J Og Burns, N Grimley, J Hall, C O’Hanlon, O Conaty, C O’Hanlon, O Conaty, S McLarnon, C McGuinness, M McConville
