Louth pensioner takes to High Court to appeal 2010 Leinster final

Some people never let a bad refereeing decision go, but Louth’s Paddy Garvey is taking that to a whole new level.

We don’t want to mention the war (that sentence is very close to being quite literal) but do you remember the Leinster football final in 2010?

Yes, the one where Meath’s Joe Sheridan was awarded a dubious goal after throwing the ball over the line in the final minute of the match, costing Louth their first Leinster final since 1957, and all hell broke loose as referee Martin Sludden had to be escorted off the pitch.

Here’s a refresher:

Well two years hence and 75 year-old Louth supporter Paddy Garvey wants to bring High Court proceedings over the goal having issued a summons under Section 51 of the District Court rules to get the GAA President to come before the court and answer for the decision to award Meath those Leinster medals. Mr. Garvey’s original summons was struck out in July 2011.

But today, Mr Garvey has sought permission from the High Court to have the decision judicially reviewed. 

He claims that the Judge that struck out that summons failed to give reasons why his case was being dismissed, which the judge is obliged to do. 

The application was heard by Justice Peart who told Mr Garvey that he would give his decision next week.

Looks like Mr Garvey is trying to break the laws of physics by proving that a referee’s decision isn’t final...