The GAA and Irish Sports Council have imposed a two-year ban on Thomas Connolly, a Gaelic footballer from Monaghan who failed a doping test.

The suspension has been backdated to March, when he was provisionally suspended by the GAA, and is shorter than the standard four-year ban as the "anti-doping violation was not intentional".

Connolly, from the Latton club, tested positive for a banned steroid during an out of competition test in mid-February.

The player who has the right to appeal, featured for Monaghan in this year's Dr McKenna Cup campaign and has been suspended since mid-March after it emerged that he tested positive for the banned steroid, "Stanozolol", which is commonly used by athletes to lose fat while retaining lean body mass.

In a joint statement, the GAA and Irish Sports Council said: "The GAA and the Irish Sports Council jointly announce that the GAA Anti-Doping Hearings Committee determined that player Thomas Connolly has committed an anti-doping rule violation.

"Thomas Connolly, a GAA player from Monaghan, has been sanctioned by a period of ineligibility of 2 years commencing on the 18th March 2015 – the date on which he was provisionally suspended by the GAA, subject to rights of appeal within 21 days under the Irish Anti-Doping Rules. This was a reduction from the standard period of 4 years' ineligibility because the GAA Anti-Doping Hearings Committee was of the view that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional, under article 10.1.3 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules. In an out of competition doping control test on the 13th February he provided a sample which tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance, 3’-hydroxystanozolol glucuronide (Stanozolol).

"The hearing was held on under Article 8 (Disciplinary Process) of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules and this announcement is made pursuant to Article 15 (Public Disclosure) of the Rules."