True conundrum for Congress as GAA go through the motions
That view was subsequently vindicated at this year’s annual congress when a Tyrone motion stated: “A special congress that is held within 48 weeks following an annual congress shall not change a decision made at that annual congress.”
But now it looks like we are going to have another special congress to do exactly the same thing. At last year’s annual congress, Westmeath successfully acquired a two-thirds majority to ensure that the winners of the Christy Ring Cup would grain automatic promotion to the Liam MacCarthy Cup for 2010.
This meant that Carlow would be playing in the Leinster Championship next year after their impressive victory in this year’s Christy Ring competition.
But the brand new official guide of the GAA in the section entitled Tier 1 – Liam MacCarthy Cup states under counties participating – “Twelve counties shall participate in the Championship.” Then it names the counties who were eligible and indeed took part in this year’s Liam McCarthy Cup and concludes by saying: “Thereafter (after 2010) the promotion and relegation process as outlined in this rule is applicable.” It goes on to deal with the inclusion of Galway and Antrim in the Leinster Championship, stating that their inclusion “shall, subject to the promotion/relegation provisions of this rule, be for an initial period of three years”.
This “subject to the promotion/relegation provisions of this rule” led to the relegation games between Clare and Wexford and between Offaly and Antrim. But the relegation final between Antrim and Wexford was called off and will not be played, even though the four counties involved were threatened with suspension if they didn’t play relegation semi-finals.
Of course, nobody expected that this is way things would turn out. Nobody expected or wanted either Clare, Wexford, Offaly or Antrim to be relegated. But what could be done about it? As outlined above, the rule is specific and clear but therein lies the dilemma. Whither Antrim? Whither Wexford?
Ironically in bold print on the very first page of the newly-published “GAA Official Guide 2009”, it states that the book “now sets forth in a new format the official guide to meet the requirements of the present time and the immediate future”. But on the same week that this is published, we are calling a special congress to change Rule 6.27 dealing with the All-Ireland Hurling Championships in the present time and in theimmediate future.
How can this be done and what brought it about?
Enter the Disputes Resolution Authority. The relegation from the Liam MacCarthy Cup came before them recently and while they took the practical approach that 13 counties should be allowed compete in the championship next year, their reasoning and certainly the interpretation of their decision is questionable. The solution is to declare the Westmeath motion passed at Congress last April out of order. And the GAA have now called a special congress to rectify the situation and allow 13 teams to compete in the top flight.
A few serious questions arise? Can a motion that went through the entire vetting process from club to Congress, that is openly debated at Congress and receives over two thirds majority from delegates, be declared by the DRA to be out of order subsequently?
Well it seems it can, but no special congress can redress that situation. This as I suggested last year, and is now firmly written into rule, can only be done by annual congress itself. Rule 3.38 is quite specific now in this regard stating that one of the functions of annual congress is to “consider motions and to enact, amend or rescind rules” and that “a special congress that is held within a 48-week period following an annual congress shall not change a decision made at that Annual Congress”.
But it seems we are going to have another special congress to do exactly that.
It’s no wonder that one official last week said: “It looks like the GAA don’t know what way to hop.”
