Counties deny Congress boycott on Rule 42 issue

OFFICIALS from the eight counties who had their motions on Rule 42 thrown out by the GAA’s Motion Committee met in Portlaoise last night to explore the options open to them on the matter ahead of next month’s Congress in Killarney.

While the meeting at the Heritage Hotel was still going ahead late into the night, earlier indications suggesting that a rumoured boycotting of the Annual Congress by Longford, Wicklow, Dublin, Laois, Roscommon, Mayo, Cavan and Clare appeared to be wide of the mark.

Laois chairman Dick Miller was adamant that his county would never contemplate backing such a stance, while Longford county secretary Seamus Tiernan also felt it wasn’t the way to go.

“Sure, what good would that do,” Tiernan said on his way to Portlaoise yesterday evening.

“It might make a statement alright, but where would it leave us then? At this stage, there isn’t a whole lot we can do, to be honest, but we’ll meet up and discuss things all the same and see where things go from there.”

Tiernan’s point is a valid one. There is no appeal process, which the counties can go through on this issue, leaving their hands effectively tied for the moment.

The fallout from the Motions Committee’s decision early last week has been considerable. GAA President Sean Kelly had to publicly come out and say he never considered quitting his position while county officials up and down the country have called it the death of democracy in the GAA.

Waterford chairman Paddy Joe Ryan has called for a ballot of every GAA member in relation to the whole issue of opening Croke Park to other sports but there is still a possibility that Rule 42 could be given an airing in Killarney in April.

The Árd Stiúrthór’s report at Congress this year will carry an extensive element in relation to Rule 42 and while it’s not a motion for debate, counties will be able to comment on it and the whole issue of Rule 42, though no vote can be taken.