ANTI DOPING Anti-Doping Rule Violation

Issued on behalf of the Football Association of Ireland and the Irish Sports Council.

The Irish Sports Council and the Football Association of Ireland jointly announced today that the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has determined that Michael Byrne who plays for Wexford Youths, has committed an anti-doping rule violation.

The Panel found that, contrary to Article 2.1 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules, the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolite, cannabis, was found in a sample of the player's urine collected during in-competition testing at a match at Athlone Town Football Club between Wexford Youths and Athlone Town on the 26th September 2009.

Michael Byrne was not provisionally suspended prior to the hearing of the Panel. At the hearing, the Panel reprimanded the player and sanctioned him, subject to his right to appeal within 14 days, by the imposition upon him of a period of ineligibility of three months, backdated in accordance with Article 10.7.2, to the date on which he admitted the offence (2nd November, 2009).

The hearing was held under Article 8 (Disciplinary Process) of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules and this announcement is made pursuant to Article 15 (Public Disclosure) of the Rules.