DRA confirm Noone ban quashed following hearing in March
Eva Noone's ban and fine for alleged racial abuse of an opponent has been quashed, the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) has confirmed.
Galway footballer Noone was initially banned following a complaint about an alleged incident during a Connacht club match late last year between Kilkerrin-Clonberne and Westport. The player denies the allegations.
Noone was hit with a six-month suspension by Connacht LGFA's Complaints, Objections, Disciplinary and Appeals body (CODA) in February, and appealed the decision to the Central Appeals Committee (CAC), having denied all accusations.
That appeal saw her ban reduced to 16 weeks along with a €200 fine for "engaging in insulting behaviour," before she took the case to the DRA.
Noone subsequently featured in the TG4 Connacht senior final clash between Galway and Mayo earlier this month, a game which saw Mayo players wear anti-racism armbands.
The DRA has now confirmed that it set aside the CAC decision following a hearing on 19 March, and are in the process of finalising their decision, which they will publish on the DRA website once finalised.
Westport were critical of the DRA appeals process in a statement last week, claiming that they learned of the outcome of the appeal through Noone's own social media post last Friday.
In that statement posted on Instagram Noone said: "Despite that positive outcome, the lengthy process over the course of four months had a profound impact on my personal wellbeing, mental health and reputation. During that time, I missed important college and county matches, national events and opportunities connected to my teaching placement. I was also subjected to significant public scrutiny and online abuse."
The club said they were waiting for answers from both CODA and the DRA, and that they were still unclear as to how the decision to quash the charges was reached.
The DRA has now issued a statement confirming that it has set aside the CAC decision following a hearing on 19 March, and are in the process of finalising their decision, which they will publish on the DRA website once finalised.
