Cork special convention on age grades postponed after Croke Park consultation

Clubs were to decide on a possible decoupling of adult and juvenile competitions at U18 level.

The Cork GAA executive has postponed next month’s special convention on age grades, following consultation with Croke Park’s rules advisory committee.

Cork’s special county convention had been planned for Tuesday, April 4, where clubs would vote on whether or not to decouple adult and juvenile competitions at U18 level from next year.

However, Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan informed clubs on Monday that next month’s special convention had been postponed until later in the year.

“This would allow a Special Congress to bring Rule in line with Central Council policy, thus facilitating our approach. It is hoped this Special Congress would take place in September, followed by our own Special County Convention soon after,” O’Donovan wrote in today’s note.

At last December’s annual county convention, Cork clubs voted to return minor to U18 at club level with full decoupling, from 2024 onward.

A month later, Central Council rubberstamped the three options put forward by the GAA’s age grade task force, which counties are free to pick from and implement on a county-by-county basis. Those options are minor at U17, minor at U18 with decoupling, or minor at U18 without decoupling but subject to certain conditions.

At this month’s county board meeting, Cork’s top table gave notice of its intention to make clear the lines of demarcation regarding the minor age grade at club level.

The sole motion, proposed by the Cork executive, that was to be voted on at next month’s now shelved special convention was that from 2024, a player operating at adult level should have celebrated his 18th birthday the year before his involvement.

Freemount delegate John O’Flynn questioned at this month’s county board meeting whether the proposed motion was out of order.