The black card in Gaelic football could become a thing of the past as the GAA’s playing rules committee looks to simplify the classification of foul play in both codes.

A baptism of fire is de rigueur in becoming the GAA’s national match officials manager. Nine years ago, Pat Doherty stepped into the role the day after Martin Sludden awarded Joe Sheridan that goal in the Leinster final.

GAA president John Horan has given his clearest indication yet that the association would back calls for Irish unity in the event of any future border poll.

Joe Brolly and Jarlath Burns are strange bedfellows.

What would a United Ireland look like? Would it mean the end of the Irish language? Would we see King Billy’s Day competing with dear old St Patrick?

Central Council will now have the power to open up provincial, county and national grounds to non-GAA sports following an overwhelming backing in Congress in Wexford today.

Playing at midfield, Jarly Óg gave an inspirational performance against IT Tralee to send his team into next week’s quarter-finals.

Those wishing to put forward their names to succeed Páraic Duffy as the next GAA director general have until Wednesday to apply. 

Playing rules committee chairman Jarlath Burns has revealed they have been asked to address the cynicism that was seen in the closing stages of last month’s All-Ireland senior football final. However, he admitted they are unlikely to bring forward any proposed rule changes to do so.

A Special Congress to alter the format of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship in time for next year is strongly mooted to take place this October.

The GAA’s standing playing rules committee meets in Croke Park this evening where the black card is certain to be discussed.

At the end of last month, GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail was asked if he was worried about the standard of games in the football championship this summer.

God love Jarlath Burns for trying but in the wake of Louth manager Colin Kelly’s impassioned criticism of the six-day turnaround his team suffered on Saturday Burns’ attempt to justify it was never going to work.

Not all of the GAA’s proudest traditions have proved robust. 

Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan has taken aim at playing rules committee chairman Jarlath Burns for altering the rules of Gaelic football.

The GAA have delayed introducing the mark to Gaelic football until January 1 next year.

After seeing through the mark last Saturday, playing rules committee chairman Jarlath Burns was quizzed about the possibility of introducing a trial to Gaelic football limiting the number of consecutive hand-passes.

Congress may be the GAA’s ultimate expression of democracy but self-awareness has never been its strongest suit.

Diving will not be upgraded to a black or red card this year, as the GAA’s playing rules committee requires more time to study the area.

Former International Rules manager Paul Earley says the introduction of the mark from a kickout can curb the number of hand-passes and resurrect the high-fielding midfielder.

Fears expressed for the GAA’s disciplinary system — in the wake of Diarmuid Connolly’s successful appeal against a suspension that allowed him play in Dublin’s All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo this year — have eased significantly in the wake of a landmark case held in Belfast this week.

Meath’s four-time All-Ireland-winning manager Seán Boylan says the rules of Gaelic football need to be simplified and changed to stop rewarding foul play.

Away from the field, the GAA have a busy five months ahead. Our correspondent looks at the 10 things to expect...

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail is open to the idea of the punishment for diving being upgraded from a yellow to a black or red card.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Galway prosper without Joe show and four other talking points...

Watching the football over the weekend, the old Depeche Mode song and lyric kept making its way into the jukebox in our head: "It’s just a Question of Time." It started in Killarney, with...

He’s been hearing it for 15 years now, even more: he’ll be a future president of the GAA.

This is the principal’s office but not as you know it or him.

It will forever be known as the game that led Jarlath Burns to declare the death of football, but Rory O’Carroll fully expects Dublin to be faced with the same defensive dilemmas this summer as that employed by Derry at the end of March.

Sean Boylan knows a thing or two about bringing Dublin down, and while the legendary Meath manager sees no obvious stumbling block to prevent the Dubs running amok in Leinster again this year, he sees problems ahead for Jim Gavin’s side.

Jim McGuinness has rejected commentary by Joe Brolly and Jarlath Burns about the state of Gaelic football.

Allianz FL Division 3 final

Never again let it be said that you need the perfect performance to win a European semi-final in France.

After a largely forgettable league, it’s time for some inconvenient truths. Ten’s a nice, round number:

In the wake of yesterday’s Tyrone-Kerry match in Omagh, a friend explained the rationale of the need for change in sport and sporting management. "I like ham sandwiches but I don’t want them every day", he said.

The huge crowd from Slaughtneil who attended the chat show ahead of this year’s All-Ireland club final provided a damning indictment on the state of inter-county football.

New GAA playing rules chairman Jarlath Burns admits he now feels under pressure to come up with solutions after announcing the “death of Gaelic football” at the weekend.

This time last year, the champions of the black card were out in force. With good reason, too. Goals and points were being scored at a rate of knots. It was hailed as the answer to Gaelic football’s ills when in truth it was only a plaster.

It was hard to know which prompted the greater sense of outrage last Saturday night: the way Dublin and especially Derry went about the joyless business of trying to get a result in Croker or Jarlath Burns declaring via Twitter that the game signalled ‘The death of Gaelic football’, writes Kieran Shannon.