James Horan has described Tiernan McCann's proposed eight-week ban as 'lunacy'.

The former Mayo manager claims the Killyclogher clubman has been "hung out to dry" by the GAA and fears the whole controversy could harm Tyrone's chances of upsetting Kerry in Sunday week's All-Ireland SFC semi-final.

"If Tiernan McCann is suspended for eight weeks, you'd have to question what the GAA is at," Horan writes in the Irish Daily Star.

"This proposed ban is absolute lunacy. It's yet another example of elements of the media setting the agenda and the GAA authorities following sheepishly behind.

"It has been argued that this furore will help Tyrone going into the All-Ireland semi-finals, that they'll feed off a siege mentality. I don't see it that way. This kind of stuff can't be helpful.

"The CCCC has made a big mistake in my opinion. This is a response to media hysteria. Joe Brolly set the ball rolling with a Sunday newspaper column and then the Sunday Game laid into McCann.

"It looks to be me as if Croke Park react to pressure from pundits. That's not right.

"McCann made a stupid mistake late on against Monaghan. He was daft and wrong in what he did (taking a dive) - there's no question about that. But he's been singled out as part of a witch-hunt by elements of the media."

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