Cork players Niall McCarthy and Kieran Murphy played Sunday's Guinness All-Ireland hurling quarter-final against Waterford with the logos of a well-known beer company on their boots.
The Rebel County only recently resolved a row with RTÉ over their displaying of bottles of Club Energise – with whom the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) have a lucrative sponsorship deal – during post-match interviews.
RTÉ claimed this had fallen into the bracket of 'surreptitious advertising', which is banned under EU law. Cork, however, refused to conduct interviews with RTÉ, resulting in a protracted stand-off between Cork players and management and the national broadcaster.
However, in this case, the GAA Official Guide does not explicitly rule out the selling of advertising space on a player's boot.
Rule 14 states that "The following regulations [the regulations which apply to sponsorship on gear used by GAA players] shall apply to playing gear, specifically jerseys, shorts, stockings, tracksuits, kit-bags worn/used for games, training, interviews and photographs".
Because of the obligation for gear to be 'of Irish manufacture' and because of individual deals done by certain players with Puma and Adidas, boots were made exempt from these rules.
It remains to be seen what action, if any, will be taken by the GAA or RTÉ over the latest infringement of the rules.
The GPA issued a statement this afternoon, distancing themselves from the arrangement.
The statement read: "The GPA was made aware of an approach by the company to the Cork hurling squad prior to the 2004 All Ireland hurling final, but the association played no part in this recent development."
However, it went on to say: "In the absence of a meaningful co-operative commercial model, as advocated by the GPA, it is therefore inevitable that arrangements of this nature will emerge.
"Should the GAA continue to ignore the contribution of the playing body to the appeal of the modern game, the value of their own commercial portfolio will arguably be undermined by similar arrangements beyond their control."
