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.