Limerick back rule change

LIMERICK clubs came out overwhelmingly in support of the move to allow rugby and soccer be played in Croke Park, reversing the decision taken at annual convention.

Delegates agreed that the county should support a motion to open up the stadium on a temporary basis during the reconstruction of Lansdowne Road, rejecting a suggestion from GAA trustee Senator Rory Kiely that it was not in order to revisit the issue.

The decision was taken on a show of hands in the absence of a debate and resulted in a massive vote in favour. Only a small minority of delegates voted against, along with Senator Kiely, central council representative PJ Ryan and a few of the officers.

While delegates at convention voted No at the start of December to open up Croke Park, board chairman Denis Holmes explained that last night’s discussion had been facilitated by the submission of motions favouring the opening of the stadium while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped. “I would describe it as best an emotive issue and at worst divisive,” he said. Rory Kiely asked if it was proper to debate the issue at all when it had been decided at convention to vote No.

In response, the chairman said that the motion defeated at convention related to the opening of all grounds on a permanent basis. His ruling was that it was in order to consider the temporary opening.

Former treasurer Mick Fitzgerald agreed, saying it had to be discussed because the clubs had been asked to consider the matter and mandate their representatives.

The chairman informed delegates that the executive favoured a secret ballot. Secretary Jimmy Hartigan pointed out that some clubs were over-represented - resulting in a few people leaving the hall. It was pointed out that since only 22 clubs were registered, the question of who was entitled to vote was relevant. However, all clubs represented at the meeting were party to the decision.

Meanwhile, politics had nothing to do with Antrim County Board’s decision to keep Croke Park closed to other sports, according to county chairman Joe O’Boyle, but rather than the ground should be opened to GAA members who never get the opportunity to play there.

“People say it is a political thing up here to keep Croke Park closed, but there is no politics in it,” says O’Boyle. “If they want Croke Park to be used, let it be used by the lesser counties and the ordinary club members.”

Antrim delegates voted on Monday night by 52-34 to retain the status quo, a closer vote than expected, but the tide was never likely to turn in favour of change.

“I wasn’t really surprised by the number of delegates who wanted a change.

“Nobody was going to be brow-beat into voting a certain way, we had a democratic vote and that was the decision reached.” O’Boyle hasn’t been convinced by the argument that the Croke Park coffers will be boosted significantly by allowing Rugby and Soccer into the stadium.

“These figures have been thrown around, that we are going to get millions from soccer and rugby, but there hasn’t been any concrete figures to show that. I haven’t seen one argument yet that convinced me this would be the right thing to do.”

All 11 Antrim delegates will now vote to retain the status quo, although O’Boyle believes the decision may come down to the final vote.

Armagh are the only one of the six counties yet to vote, but they are meeting in the Athletic Grounds tonight, and it is believed the county will stay firmly in the No camp.

Kilkenny County Board voted unanimously to support the motion in favour of opening the stadium, and their six votes edges ever closer to the two-thirds majority needed for the motion to succeed. “The vote was by a show of hands and there were no dissenting voices at the meeting,” said county secretary Pat Dunphy.

Another border county Leitrim also voted on Monday night and there was no real surprise there either, with delegates voting by a huge majority, 59 to 3, for the temporary opening of Croke park’s doors while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped.

Additional reporting by Mark Gallagher.