I was elected to lead, not to be led, says Kelly

Sean Kelly came to Congress 2004 under enormous pressure.

The issue of Rule 42 and debate on the possible opening up of Croke Park, one of the main public planks of his fledgling presidency was gone, while another pet project, a total revamp of the SHC, was under threat; even to get to discussion stage.

Cork were heading the opposition charge. It was a classic confrontation, of the old guard against the new, conservative versus progressive. Cork v Kerry. Frank Murphy against Sean Kelly.

The winner?

As Margaret Counihan, Sean Kelly's friend from nearby Kilcummin, sang the National Anthem at the close of session, no one in the vast halls of the Great Southern Hotel were in any doubt.

All through Saturday's morning session, both men had kept their powder dry. Kelly was impressive in shepherding through a raft of different motions, his humorous but firm manner managed to convey almost an intimate feel to a gathering numbering several hundred.

"Defeated, and half of ye didn't vote at all", he admonished, with a laugh, on one motion. "This is becoming like the Grand National," after a number of motions had fallen in quick succession.

In the Cork corner, Frank Murphy was holding tight, a range of other speakers on the various early Cork motions from the 10-strong delegation, some of them very young, some experienced, all impressive in their arguments. These motions were only skirmishes ahead of the battleground that was the HDC proposals.

Cork enjoyed a few little victories but, one by one, the more regressive of their proposals were shot down.

First indication we had that Sean Kelly was really up for this day came in his President's address.

He started off slowly, in lovely Irish, spoke of a lot of high points, a couple of low points of lessons that needed to be learned, lessons that were learned.

He moved seamlessly into English, and soon the punches came.

"Our decision to alter the date of the 2006 All-Ireland to facilitate the Ryder Cup brought further honour and almost too much praise on the association but it revealed that in this modern age, even small gestures of co-operation gain widespread approval and greatly improve our public image and generate invaluable goodwill."

That was one for those who oppose opening Croke Park, but he was just warming up.

"Rule 42," he began. "The fact that no motion on Rule 42 appears on the clár despite being submitted by eight counties has disappointed and indeed angered many. Nevertheless the fact that motions now out of order were deemed in order, in previous years, has perplexed many. As I indicated last year, when announcing the setting up of a Rules Revision Committee, our rules are too complicated and often too negatively written.

"It is particularly disconcerting that clubs and county boards have no support mechanism available to them that guarantees motions are in order. When top officials in the association and even the bye-laws committee, known masters of the rules, can't guarantee that motions are in order, despite their best efforts, it is time for a rethink"

A few full-time official might well have been smiling.

"I would welcome a situation where, if motions are passed at county conventions, a committee at national level would have the authority to put them in order. This would get rid of the convoluted system that we have at present and encourage our voluntary members to table motions, forward good ideas, happy in the knowledge that they will be discussed on the only floor that matters, the floor of congress.

"How does it progress our association when a perfectly laudable, well-thought out idea can't be discussed because it's technically out of order?"

Mr Kelly stopped for a moment and greeted the huge round of applause. Then, he began once more. The criticism became very pointed. He was swinging the big punches.

"Besides, when knowledge of the rules is the preserve of a few, this confers a certain power on these few, which is unhealthy and undemocratic. Are there 40 people in this hall who could confidently put a motion in order for Congress? Are there 30? Are there 20? Are there 10?"

Well, there was at least one, and here is where a real paradox arises.

As he finished his speech it was obvious, this battle was won. And so it proved, in the afternoon session as the HDC proposals easily garnered the two-thirds majority needed for discussion, and also achieved the majority needed for their two-year experimental period.

So what of the paradox?

According to Ger Loughnane, one of the heavy hitters on the HDC group, the person who had ensured their proposals were all properly drafted was Frank Murphy.

"Absolutely, Frank helped to draft this such that it wouldn't be eliminated on a technicality. It wasn't the big confrontation people were saying it was, between Cork and everybody else. They were protecting their own position, which they have a perfect right to do, and so were Kilkenny.

"They want the shortest, easiest, passage possible to the All-Ireland final. That's self-interest, and he has to defend the interest of Cork. But when we wanted to have this thing drafted so it wouldn't be ruled out of order, he was the one who drafted it."

So there it is. This was Sean Kelly's hour, a man-of-the-match performance on the GAA administration's All-Ireland final day by one of its foremost coming politicians.

But, it was also a gracious and worthy performance by the representative of the old guard.

All in all, a great day for the ancient organisation, a landmark day, a day when its young president really came of age.

"I was elected to lead, not to be led, to praise not to be praised, to serve not to be served.

"I'll listen carefully, consult widely, ponder deeply but ultimately make up my own mind and follow that without fear or favour. That's what I have done and that's what I'll continue to do.

"Like Johnny Cash, I intend to keep my eyes wide open all the time, keep a close watch on some friends of mine but when it comes to walking the line, I'll walk no line but my own, the line that I think is best for the GAA. Criticism doesn't bother me too much. In fact, a little controversy now and then should be relished by the wisest men. It would be a dull world if we all agreed," he said.

lFor the full text of Sean Kelly's speech, log on to www.gaa.ie