Naomh Colmcille have had their eight-week ban from playing any adult matches successfully overturned by the Donegal county board this evening.
The club were handed the ban, as well as a €500 fine, for hosting a soccer tournament on their pitch. The tournament was a fundraising effort for clubman Paul Dillon, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year.
The punishment received national headlines over the past couple of weeks, with many questioning the harsh decision. The county board have now rescinded the ban, but the club will still face other sanctions.
Naomh Colmcille will pay two separate €250 fines (totalling €500) for two rule breaches, while they will also concede home advantage in all of their games over the next 12 weeks. They were scheduled to play five home games in that period.
While even the severity of this ban could be debated, it is good to see the farcical all encompassing ban overturned. One would suggest that the GAA rules need a bit of a shake up in order to avoid similar situations in the future, however.
If the GAA is indeed about community as is the claim, maybe their doors should be open to help members in need?
