Preformance Enhancing Drugs and the GAA

[Wild Guess]

Controversial enough topic in some ways, but as the Lance Armstrong saga concludes I can't help but wonder what has made the GAA so immune to Preformance Enhancing Drugs? Maybe I am being naiive but it is impressive, especially nowadays with the winner takes all menatility, that an amateur sport is not subject to any of these scandels. Does anyone know the GAA policies on doping? Sanctions? etc. I'm sure I could look this up on the internet, but to be honest I am a lazy shite.

[cadence]

http://lmgtfy.com/

[ck]

It's a fair question and one I pondered many times however I seriously doubt if its an issue in the GAA, I mean its not as if a team has come from no-where and won an All-Ireland in the last year or two... Oh, hold on a sec

[Ard-Rí]

I think it's somewhat ironic that they're going to strip Lance Armstrong of his titles, thereby acknowledging the runners-up as winners, even though they were certainly on performance enhancing drugs too ... because cycling to that standard is just not possible otherwise.

As for the GAA, I may be naive but I just can't see those who have nothing to gain but pride cheating to win. It kind of defeats the purpose ...

[Hardy]

I think it's somewhat ironic that they're going to strip Lance Armstrong of his titles, thereby acknowledging the runners-up as winners, even though they were certainly on performance enhancing drugs too ... because cycling to that standard is just not possible otherwise.

As for the GAA, I may be naive but I just can't see those who have nothing to gain but pride cheating to win. It kind of defeats the purpose ...

I'd agree with that if I didn't see lads in practically every game cheating by rolling around pretending to have been poleaxed in order to gain an advantage. They have nothing to gain but pride, but they don't seem to have the pride to care about what they lose with that sort of carry-on. So it must just be a question of the extent to which they're prepared to cheat to win.

[endk17]

It's a fair question and one I pondered many times however I seriously doubt if its an issue in the GAA, I mean its not as if a team has come from no-where and won an All-Ireland in the last year or two... Oh, hold on a sec

Assuming that you know and are aware of the current system that the GAA have in place with the ISC regarding PED's then there should be no ambiguity here and as such you wouldn't be left in a pondering state. And to be more precise, making a damning statement on the last two All-Ireland winners surely you couldn't be overlooking the current training methods that Dublin & Donegal are involved in.

GAA player's are tested to the same standards that professional Rugby players, Cyclists and Olympic athletes are in this Country. One of the only differences being that blood testing has yet to implemented as all samples are urine based. Which is soon to be reviewed given the current problems this places on teams and players. RE: Jackie Tyrrell & Paddy Hogan of Kilkenny after this years Hurling Final; this being the most recent example as there is countless occasions of this.

Players & teams are to be tested randomly throughout the year at their training venues. Missing such a particular training session results in a County Board fine of approx. €500. Once the All-Ireland series begins i.e. Quater Final onwards, in football 3/4 players are randomly selected after the game to give urine samples. If actually found and proven guilty I think it results in a heavy County Board fine and a lengthy ban of the player from the GAA. 

[Wild Guess]

I remember the case with O'Mahoney a couple of years back that arose due to use of an inhaler, I'd just honestly like to know more about the process the GAA have in place. I may be jumping the gun here, but surley the procedures we have in place for an amateur sport are less conservative than the likes of rugby et all, especially given the fact that we have had no notable incidents.

In all my years involved with the GAA I have never known anyone to take preformance enhancing drugs, a few of the lads have promoted the benefits of lemsip mind you!

[Milltown Row2]

Is Red Bull and Vodka on that list? Be testing positive on that for years. Urine sample would have been some colour!!

[LeoMc]

Is no one else going to comment on the spelling in the header?

[Ard-Rí]

I'd agree with that if I didn't see lads in practically every game cheating by rolling around pretending to have been poleaxed in order to gain an advantage. They have nothing to gain but pride, but they don't seem to have the pride to care about what they lose with that sort of carry-on. So it must just be a question of the extent to which they're prepared to cheat to win.

I wonder to what extent that's impressionable lads who've watched a little bit too much soccer ... I play on several teams and I think that even amongst younger players there's still an ethic of omerta (or at least toughness), and only a minority of players take dives on a regular basis. Unfortunately, they are of course the ones that are seen.

[yellowcard]

I think it's somewhat ironic that they're going to strip Lance Armstrong of his titles, thereby acknowledging the runners-up as winners, even though they were certainly on performance enhancing drugs too ... because cycling to that standard is just not possible otherwise.

As for the GAA, I may be naive but I just can't see those who have nothing to gain but pride cheating to win. It kind of defeats the purpose ...

They are NOT acknowledging the runner up of those tours as winners. More than likely they will be declared void. Of the 7 tours that Armstrong won only 2 cyclists that finished on the podium were not implicated in doping scandals so how far down the peloton would you have to go to find a clean winner?!

[johnneycool]

I remember the case with O'Mahoney a couple of years back that arose due to use of an inhaler, I'd just honestly like to know more about the process the GAA have in place. I may be jumping the gun here, but surley the procedures we have in place for an amateur sport are less conservative than the likes of rugby et all, especially given the fact that we have had no notable incidents.

In all my years involved with the GAA I have never known anyone to take preformance enhancing drugs, a few of the lads have promoted the benefits of lemsip mind you!

I think you were given a form to fill in at the start of the year to list any Prescription drugs like the steriod, Salbutamol that you were taking. If O'Mahony had filled that in, then he shouldn't have been picked up as a failure.

There's something in my head about Frankie Sheehan getting a ban for asthma related drugs in his system though as that p***k Neil Francis wrote one of the most ill-informed articles about it a few weeks later!

[NAG1]

The GAA like every other sport have to sign up to the rules and regulations set down by the Irish Sports Council, which are then derived from WADA (World Anti Doping Association) Each sport agrees how these will be enforced with ISC.

Players have been tested after competition and more recently at training sessions and the same levels of scrutiny are applied to them as any other tests done.

JC is correct all athletes are given a form at the start of each season to list any substances they maybe taking for whatever ailments so then the team doctor informs the authorities etc.