Costigan backs down in player eligibility debate

ONE of the more interesting motions debated at the week-end GAA Congress came at the very end of the Saturday session and, through an oversight, wasn’t even included in the agenda. Dealing with the topical issue with the age eligibility of young players for the various championship grades, it came from Tipperary. And, according to board chairman John Costigan it was “about the survival” of 25 clubs in the county.

They proposed, for instance, that a player would have to be over 16 on January 1 to play senior, over 15 at the same time to play under-21, and over 13 to play minor. However, there was widespread opposition to the principle of young players “playing away outside their age groups” and Mayo delegate Paddy Muldoon suggested the solution was to reduce team sizes to 11 or 13-a-side. “We don’t have a right to neglect our duty of care and engage in what has been referred to as juvenile mismanagement,” he said.

Sensing the growing opposition, Costigan withdrew the motion.