SPORT IRELAND RECORDED seven anti-doping violations last year, an increase of six from 2018.

They conducted a total of 1,303 tests, 17% more than the year previous, according to their anti-doping report for 2019. 

Of the seven violations, three have already been publicly confirmed. League of Ireland footballer Brandon Miele was given a two-year ban for failing to submit a sample when asked to do so after a Saint Patrick’s Athletic game last year while another two separate cases relate to in-competition tests for the banned substances Cannabinoids,  chemicals found in cannabis. 

A further four cases remain pending, and none of these relate to GAA.

Cycling was the most-tested sport in 2019 with 218 conducted tests, followed by Rugby (196 tests), Athletics (154), and GAA (135.) 

Sport Ireland sanctioned 44 Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) in 2019. Rugby was the largest sole recipient of TUEs with nine, followed by Soccer (six) and Swimming (four.) 

CEO John Treacy spoke to reporters over Zoom call earlier today, and said the increase in positive tests on last year is not unusual. 

“I think the year before might only have been one [positive test]. so if you average them out over a period of years that’s the way it happens every now and then. Maybe next year it might only be one.

“Last year you were asking if this is very low, and yeah, it was very low, but it averages out. If you look at it over five years it’s fairly consistent. We are also trending with other countries and there is nothing unusual in having these cases this year. It’s just a trend.” 

Treacy believes Ireland does not have a major doping problem, although says Sport Ireland remain vigilant on the issue.

“We always have to be vigilant and live up to our responsibilities as an anti-doping agency in the world fight against doping. This is what we do: the rules are there and we apply them as best we can. We take every step we need to take, and we will continue to do this. Once any substance is on the [prohibited] list, we test for it and we get on with it. Until such time something is taken off the list that will remain the case.

“We just get on with it. In Ireland, we don’t think we have a huge doping culture, but we always have to be vigilant and will continue to be vigilant.” 

Elsewhere, Dr. Una May, Sport Ireland’s Director of Participation and Ethics, confirmed the organisation have been unable to conduct routine testing owing to the Covid-19 shutdown and are instead focusing on intelligence and working with customs officers. 

“We’re not testing as per our routine programme during the pandemic.

“At this time, we are focusing a lot more of our attention around intelligence, and we are working with customs and monitoring individuals and any deliveries or packages that are suspicious. We have increased our intelligence capacity, which makes that a much more viable option for us at the moment.”