Despite the evidence of the 2015 season, Páraic Duffy insists there is no fundamental problem with the GAA's disciplinary procedures.
Last summer, Mayo's Kevin Keane was needlessly sent off for throwing a stupid punch at Michael Murphy as their quarter-final with Donegal was dribbling to an inevitable conclusion.
The CHC found that the 'infraction, as alleged, was not proven', apparently wholly unpersuaded by the television replays which showed Keane swinging at Murphy. His red card was rescinded and he was declared eligible to play in the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin.
The same week, after an outcry on social media, Tiernan McCann was suspended for eight weeks for his breathtaking dive against Monaghan in the quarter-final. Later on that week, after another outcry on social media in which the consensus was the original suspension was too severe, McCann's ban was wiped out altogether and he played the semi-final against Kerry.
Most contentiously of all, Diarmuid Connolly's suspension for striking Lee Keegan in the drawn All-Ireland semi-final was upheld by both the CAC and CHC before being struck out by the DRA on a vote of 2-1.
The chair of the DRA, former Supreme Court Judge Hugh O'Flaherty wrote that the ban was lifted because of 'the lack of fair procedure afforded to Mr. Connolly at an early stage in the GAA's internal disciplinary process which unfairly hindered the preparations for, and the presentation of, his defence.'
The dissenting voice, solicitor Brian Rennick said, in the aftermath of the All-Ireland final, that the decision of the DRA had been 'fundamentally wrong'.
Despite O'Flaherty's verdict, Duffy doesn't accept there is a fundamental problem with the disciplinary system.
He told Colm Keys that he was surprised by the Connolly decision and said that the GAA's disciplinary structures are sound.
I may have been surprised by the decisions announced in the specific cases mentioned, just as I have often been surprised, as we have all been by decisions made by disciplinary bodies outside of the GAA and even by courts.
Duffy says commentators were entitled to question the DRA's decision to revoke Diarmuid Connolly's suspension and says that to infer that the GAA's disciplinary system might be broken is nothing other than 'lazy, headline seeking commentary'.
... although one wonders if the outcry would have been as great if the players were someone other than Diarmuid Connolly but it was otherwise lazy headline seeking commentary to use this to suggest that our disciplinary structures are not fit for purpose.
