Loughrea centrefielder Cullen Killeen been cleared to play in Sunday’s All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling final against Ballygunner.
At a meeting of the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) on Friday night in Dublin, the GAA’s independent arbitration tribunal set aside Killeen’s suspension for striking Slaughtneil’s Brendan Rogers at the very end of December’s All-Ireland semi-final.
Killeen and his club had previously been unsuccessful in challenging the charge at the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee (CHC) and Central Appeals Committee (CAC).
Their only remaining recourse was the DRA, which found in their favour. The matter was heard by senior counsel Dermot Flanagan, barrister Gareth Robinson and former Tipperary chair Con Hogan.
The outcome swung on the CAC’s determination that “the CHC heard the evidence submitted by the Claimant and reviewed the video and decided that the evidence was not compelling such as to rebut the referee’s report.”
The tribunal decided, having reviewed the CHC minutes, that this had not been the test applied, and Killeen’s suspension was accordingly quashed.
Further detail of the “full reasoned, written award” is yet to be published which “will be communicated to the parties and published on the DRA website once finalised.”
In the meantime, Killeen, who was man of the match in both Loughrea’s All-Ireland semi-final and Galway county final victories, is now free to line out in Sunday’s All-Ireland decider at Croke Park (throw-in 1.30pm).