Reduction of panels to 24 will help ‘hard pressed’ counties

LIMITING county panels to 24 (from next year) will only provide the GPA with “a stick to beat the GAA with,” warned Kilkenny Chairman Ned Quinn at the GAA Congress in the Great Southern Hotel.

Apart from Armagh Central Council delegate Gene Duffy, who also opposed the proposal to reduce numbers from 30, the motion won almost unanimous support.

In contrast, Waterford Chairman Paddy Joe Ryan argued that the reduction would help “hard-pressed” counties.

The first to speak on the issue, Mr. Ryan stated that the increase to 30 players had been “good for teams but bad for county boards,” adding that the number of training sessions had to be curtailed due to the increased costs.

Kerry Chairman Sean Walsh also strongly supported the proposal, saying that All-Ireland medals were “devalued” when 30 were given out.

However, Duffy noted that while Kerry were used to getting All-Ireland medals, Armagh had been delighted to be in a position to present 30 Celtic crosses in 2002.

Cork were the only county to oppose a move to make it compulsory for players up to minor grade to use helmets with facial guards.

Leinster Chairman Nicky Brennan, who formally moved the motion, pointed out that it had the support of the Medical Committee (chaired by Cork team doctor Con Murphy), the Insurance Work Group and hospital consultants.

There was strong opposition to a motion that the minor age be raised to 19.

Delegates voted overwhelmingly that the rule which permitted players under suspension to play during the months of December and January should be deleted.

With the GAC earlier turning down the appeals of Stephen O’Neill and Eamonn Fitzmaurice after they were red-carded in the Tyrone/Kerry League game a fortnight ago, the Central Council agreed to reinstate Galway footballer Kevin Brady in a month’s time. He had been suspended for 12 months for playing illegally in Britain.

Waterford’s Central Council delegate Seamus O’Brien was chosen as Munster’s representative on the Management Committee, beating Cork delegate Bob Honohan by 27 votes to 20.

A committee to review the text of motions passed at Congress will be chaired by Sean McCague and consist of Ulster Secretary Danny Murphy, Cork Secretary Frank Murphy, Connacht Secretary John Prenty and Meath Chairman Fintan Ginnity.