Colleges to continue in club championships

Delegates at the GAA Congress in Kilkenny have today voted against a motion from Athenry GAA club to stop the participation of colleges and universities in the club championships.

In proposing the motion, Galway delegate Gerry Larkin outlined the special place that the club holds in the community.

"Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day has evolved into a club day and displays more than any other event what the GAA really means, that it is a part of the community," Larkin said.

Dublin delegate John Costello was fully in agreement with his Galway counterpart.

"It has been a bone of contention in Dublin for some time and we support the motion. There is adequate competition for Colleges in their own competitions," Costello said.

Rule Book Taskforce chairman Frank Murphy of Cork was in full support of the Higher Education Institutions.

"We are opposed to the motion, there are few enough third level Colleges competiting as clubs in our association. The successes of our University or College teams have been few and far between even at county levels," Murphy said.

"We have also to acknowledge on a county basis, the vital

contributions the University clubs have made not only on the field of play but also on the administration front.

"The UCC football team is the longest continous club in our

association," he added.

The motion was comprehensively defeated and cannot come in front of Congress for another three years because one third of votes was not reached.