GAA director-general Paraic Duffy has admitted that the 'bitegate' controversy has tarnished the Association's reputation.

A three-match ban was proposed for Dublin defender Kevin O'Brien arising from an alleged biting incident involving Donegal's Patrick McBrearty, but this was revoked by the Central Hearings Committee after McBrearty failed to show up for a hearing.

But while admitting that McBrearty had been bitten, Duffy has issued a stout defence of the GAA's disciplinary procedures, which were criticised by Donegal manager Jim McGuinness last week.

"It is unacceptable that a player did suffer a bite and that no-one was held to account and I think everyone has to look at the part they played in that," he said at the launch of RTE's championship coverage yesterday.

"In terms of our processes I believe they were fair, they were robust and I think we could not have done any more. The case collapsed because of lack of evidence and that's the reality of it."

On the CCCC, Duffy commented: "They tried to deal with it as best they could. They laid the charge down. But short of someone admitting it and owning up to it, the only other way of producing an outcome was that the player would attend (a hearing) and say 'I was bitten by....'. He chose not to do that, and that's the player's right to do that." Tweet

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