Gareth Turnbull is set to make a competitive return later this month

The ruling found the athlete's elevated testosterone level from a test 14 months ago "as a matter of probability" had been "induced by alcohol".

There had been the option of an appeal against the judgement from the ISC or other bodies.

But the ISC said that it "accepted the judgement in its entirety".

The ISC thanked the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel "for its detailed and reasoned determination in this case".

"It reached its conclusions after a number of hearings in the matter and after in-depth consideration by it of all the evidence and facts of this case," the ISC added in a statement.

"The Council believes that the decision is of significant public interest and, in the interests of openness and transparency, is publishing the decision of the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel in its entirety (on its website).

The statement said that the IAAF had written to the ISC pointing out that "at no time in the process did they advise the council not to proceed with the case".

The IAAF's input in the case became a talking-point arising from the email sent to ISC anti-doping chief Una May by Gabrielle Dolle on 24 October 2005.

Turnbull's legal team contended that the email from the IAAF's anti-doping chief Dolle effectively suggested that the case should not be taken any further.

Dolle had noted that the Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) test done on Turnbull's sample on the 30 September 2005 test had been "inconclusive" on whether non-naturally occurring (exogenous) testosterone had been present.

"We have registered the adverse finding and taken good note of the IRMS result," said Dolle in his email.

"However, in order to effectively close the file at the IAAF, we need to complete it with the athlete's identity, therefore could you please provide us with a copy of the Doping Control Form.

Some serious issues still have to be addressed and we are continuing to examine all the options available to us Turnbull family

"Indeed, we nominatively register the athletes found to have an elevated T/E (testosterone) not concluded as positive to cross check any eventual forthcoming result accordingly."

The Turnbull family welcomed the ISC's stance on the judgement but made clear their disappointment with the body.

"We welcome but are not surprised by today's confirmation that there will not be any appeal in Gareth's case," said a family spokesman.

"And we are disappointed but again not surprised that the Irish Sports Council makes absolutely no reference to Gareth and the extremely difficult experience he has had in proving his innocence over the last five months.

"From our perspective, some serious issues still have to be addressed and we are continuing to examine all the options available to us."

While Turnbull is free to compete again, close to �100,000 in legal fees have been spent in his defence over the last four months and the athlete will make strenuous legals efforts to recoup those costs.

His return to competition is likely to be at the Irish Inter-Counties Cross Cross Championship in Durgarvan on 26 November where he will be aiming to secure a place on the Irish team for next month's European Championships in Italy.