Ulster still says 'no'

Mark Gallagher samples the mood on Rule 42 among the key Ulster counties.

DONEGAL and Cavan are likely to stand together as the only Ulster counties supporting a change to Rule 42 at next week's Congress.

Donegal clubs voted on Monday night 29-23 in favour of the temporary opening of Croke Park whilst Lansdowne Road is being re-developed. County chairman Charlie O'Donnell had asked delegates at the March meeting to get a mandate from each of their clubs before the vote was taken.

"It was a close-run thing," O'Donnell said. "It was always 50-50 as to how the clubs would vote, but the temporary opening of Croke Park was the option that was most preferable when the options were discussed."

However, the pro-opening lobby received a blow in the province after the Fermanagh County Board, like Monaghan, voted to reject any change in the rule. In a secret ballot, club delegates voted 29-23 to oppose the opening up of headquarters to another sport, after a month of discussion among the clubs. Fermanagh are considered one of the more liberal of the six counties.

"It was close, the mood was very mixed in the county and that was why we felt it was better for the clubs to decide," Fermanagh secretary Tom Boyle said.

Monaghan have also voted for no change with delegates on Monday night critical of local media's handling of the issue.

There was strong criticism of what was seen as a media driven campaign about rule 42. Local radio station, Northern Sound came in for special mention in relation to a number of items they had aired on the matter, where it was felt that members of the GAA who were opposed to change had been left open to gratuitous abuse.

There was one proposal at the meeting from the Monaghan Harps club that they would support limited access as outlined in the motion to Congress from Roscommon but a proposal by county Chairman John Connolly, seconded by Paul Ward, Clontibret hurling club, that the status quo be maintained was carried by 29 votes to 18.

However, it is the mood within Down that best reflects the mood of the six counties. Down have always been considered a weathervane county and their decision to support the scrapping of Rule 21 was very influential in the deletion of that controversial rule a few years ago.

However, they have never supported any change in Rule 42. "The feeling within the county, and this is something you would probably see in most of the six counties, is very favourable towards allowing Rugby in, but people aren't so sure about soccer," said Down secretary Donal McCormack.

"The reason for this is that Rugby is an all-Ireland sport, but soccer is not. Soccer is a 26-county sport and a six-county sport and that is the major stumbling block. People wouldn't even mind a sport like Hockey being allowed in, again because that is an all-Ireland sport.

"Anyway, I feel that all this hype over rule 42 is taking away from much more important business in Congress, in particular the playing rules, which are far more significant to the long-term future of the association," McCormack said.

Armagh, who would traditionally be staunchly opposed to opening up Croke Park, have allowed their clubs to have the final say. This, according to county secretary Paddy Nugent, is because the issue has become quite divisive in some clubs. "We have told the clubs to discuss the issue among themselves and then we will be taking a vote next Wednesday," Nugent said. "It is hard to say with any degree of certainty before then, how the vote will go. There are people with strong opinions on both sides of the issue."

Even if the stance has softened in Armagh, it is still expected the county will oppose any opening up of Croke Park. That is certainly the case in Antrim, who have been opposed to any proposed change in the rule.

Derry County Board are meeting tomorrow night to decide which way the county are going to vote at Congress, although secretary Patsy Mulholland believes it has been almost decided already.

"The clubs are coming back to us, but the way it is looking at the moment, it looks like it will almost certainly be against. It won't be confirmed until the meeting, but it will be a big surprise if it is anything else."

Tyrone are another Ulster county who have yet to take a vote, but there is strong feeling against any change within the county, feelings that have been articulated recently by their football manager Mickey Harte.