The Connacht Council has handed the down a €10,000 fine to Mayo GAA for their failure to take part in the away final of Connacht FBD League. The final was due to take place on Sunday October 7 against New York in the US city, two weeks after Mayo had played in the All Ireland final against Donegal in Croke Park.
Connacht GAA secretary John Prenty speaking to the Mayo Advertiser this week said: “We awarded the game to New York and we fined Mayo for some of the costs that came about because of them not going.” When asked what were the costs incurred that Mayo were being fined for he said: “There were events that had been arranged for and around the game and the costs involved in that and those who were to travel had to be covered and that’s where the figure came from.”
When asked if there was a date fixed for the payment of the fine yet by the Connacht Council, the secretary told the paper: “We haven’t put a date on it yet for payment of the fine. They can appeal it, but the fine could be increased too, it’s for the reasonable costs associated with the event not going ahead, same as it would be for any club in any county pulling out of a game.”
Mayo county secretary, Kevin O’Toole, when contacted by this paper said on the issue: “We’re in discussions with the Connacht Council on this at the minute and hope to come to some sort of agreement, and we won’t be saying anymore on it while we are in discussions.”
The Mayo County Board let the Connacht Council know of their intentions in the week after the All Ireland final stating: “Our involvement in the FBD league final, the abandoned national league game against Dublin and the re-fixture, the national league semi final and final, as well as our involvement in the All Ireland football final last week has had a major impact on club fixtures. In order to ensure the involvement of Mayo clubs in the Connacht club championships, we have had to reschedule our senior and intermediate football championship semi finals and 10 of our present panel are involved in these games.”
Connacht GAA responded to the news at the time saying: “Their action [Mayo] has greatly upset the players, management, and officials of the New York team who had been making arrangements to host the All Ireland finalists to Gaelic Park,” and “Connacht GAA would like to express its extreme disappointment and annoyance at Mayo GAA withdrawing from the Connacht GAA FBD Competition at such short notice, considering the home final was played in January and the date for the final in New York had been decided in October 2012.”
