The player has not yet been named but is believed to be on the fringes of the Monaghan football panel.
A Gaelic Footballer from Monaghan is reported to have tested positive for the use of a steroid during a recent test and is currently under investigation by the Irish Sports Council’s Anti-Doping Unit.
According to a report in today’s Sunday Independent, the player is in his 20s and although not currently on the Monaghan football panel, he has been on the fringes of the squad in the recent past.
The revelation comes as the GAA and the Irish Sports Council prepare to roll out blood testing of GAA players in an upgrade of the current system, where Gaelic Footballers and hurlers are subjected to urine tests both in and out of competition.
The move has been the subject of debate within the GAA as amateur athletes will be subjected to the same anti-doping measures as their professional counterparts, but it is expected to take effect from next year.
The Gaelic Players’ Association (GPA) are believed to be currently offering counsel and advice to the player, who is the subject of the first reported positive drugs test in the GAA since Kerry’s Aidan O’Mahony tested positive for Salbutamol following defeat to Tyrone in the 2008 All-Ireland Final.
O’Mahony was subsequently granted a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) and did not face any punishment because he is a lifelong asthma sufferer and Salbutamol is a substance commonly found in inhalers.
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