The Mayo supporter who invaded the pitch during his county's All-Ireland SFC semi-final replay loss to Kerry in August is to appeal the one-year ban handed down to him by Croke Park.

Mick Barrett, a 49-year-old builder from Castlebar, has been ordered to stay away from all GAA grounds for the next 12 months after he had to be restrained by five stewards as he attempted to confront Meath referee Cormac Reilly during Mayo's extra-time defeat to the All-Ireland champions-elect at the Gaelic Grounds.

An unapologetic Barrett said in the Irish Examiner: "I got whispers that something was happening but the first I heard about a ban was in the paper on Wednesday morning.

"I was never called to any meeting or never received any letter or contact about a ban. My plan now is to appeal this ban, but I'm not sure how I go about doing that.

"I don't think I have done anything wrong. But in saying that, there has been mixed reaction to what I did, here in Mayo - some people thought I did the right thing and others thought I didn't.

"But the first thing I would say is that it wouldn't have happened if the game had been played in Croke Park - where it should have been - and not in Limerick. There is no way I would have been allowed anywhere near the pitch in Croke Park."

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