Carlow's Turlough O'Brien, Stephen Poacher and Brendan Murphy hit with suspensions
Wednesday 10 April 2019 08:14, UK
Carlow football manager Turlough O'Brien has been hit with a 20-week suspension, while coach Stephen Poacher and player Brendan Murphy have received 12-week bans.
The trio were in front of the Central Hearings Committee, and were found to have committed "threatening conduct towards a referee" during the Allianz Football League loss to Down on March 16.
All three have the option of appealing the decisions.
This means that manager O'Brien will likely miss the entirety of Carlow's championship campaign, and it makes their task all the more difficult as they prepare for their opener against the winner of Meath v Offaly.
Carlow enjoyed a remarkable 2018 season, winning promotion in the league and reaching a Leinster semi-final. However, 2019 has started on a sour note as they suffered relegation, and this latest news is sure to dampen spirits in the county ahead of the summer.
Meanwhile, Monaghan's Fintan Kelly has been cleared following an incident during the Farney County's clash with Mayo in Castlebar. It was alleged that he was guilty of "striking with the elbow", but the infraction was not proven. This means he is free to play in the Ulster Championship quarter-final away to Cavan.
