Senior panels will be restored to 30

IN terms of GAA house-keeping, the most important decisions taken at Congress were to divide the fixtures-making and disciplinary responsibilities of the Games Administration Committee into separate entities and to establish an elaborate arbitration process based on a disputes resolution code.

But, from a playing point of view, two equally significant moves were agreed. One will restore inter-county senior panels to a maximum of 30 and the other will involve a streamlining of the fixtures programme so that losing provincial championship finalists will have a three-week break before they have to play again.

The opening eight motions were all defeated - one proposing the introduction of the fisted pass failing because it was 11 votes short of a two-thirds majority - before Dublin succeeded with a Na Fianna proposal to make the use of hurling helmets compulsory up to U21 level. With Congress having agreed a similar proposal up to the minor grade last year - at the behest of the medical committee chaired by Dr Con Murphy - president Seán Kelly advised delegates that the committee’s view was that it would be more appropriate not to introduce the rule for three years.

Former chairman Páraic Duffy made the case for the break-up of the GAC, while Frank Murphy introduced the motion to establish the arbitration process, followed by solicitor Liam Keane (a member of the Meath executive) and barrister Micheál O’Connell, son of the legendary Mick O’Connell. Both motions received the unanimous endorsement of Congress. There was no support for a Laois motion which stipulated that only county championship winners be eligible for the club championships. Kerry pointed out that it would hit them in the event of a group team being successful, as happened last season with South Kerry.

Likewise, there was widespread opposition to a Cork motion calling for the introduction of a sin bin, with the president commenting after a show of hands had been called that “it had been hammered out of sight.”

Kerry indicated that they could be in favour if it was applied at inter-county level, with chairman Seán Walsh saying that it would be very hard to police at club level. Football Task Force chairman Tommy Moran said he would agree with this, but Down secretary Donal McCormack argued that it would be ridiculous to apply a rule only at the level of inter-county games.

There was strong support for a joint Mayo/Armagh proposal that inter-county senior panels could be extended to 30. Cork chairman Jim Forbes spoke against it, on the basis that it would tie up more players and that costs would rise by 25%. Seán Walsh said that Kerry maintained that it would devalue All-Ireland medals.

However, strong support came from counties like Kilkenny and Wexford - along with the two counties which submitted motions. Armagh’s Central Council delegate Gene Duffy said that it was very much “pro” player, while Mayo secretary Seán Feeney said that extending the panel made provision for injuries.

* At a Central Council meeting following Congress, Paddy Muldoon (Mayo), Liam Martin (Westmeath) and Gene Duffy were elected to the Management Committee. Joe O’Boyle (Antrim) and Phonsie Tully (Roscommon) were elected to the GAC.