All-Irelands to stay in July, Cork set to be allowed decouple minor grade

Motions include restructuring the All-Ireland hurling championship and adding a semi-final to the Joe McDonagh Cup

A general view of a voting 'zapper' during a GAA Special Congress 

Cork will be allowed to decouple adult and under-age grades at U18 level should a motion at Special Congress pass later this month.

Delegates will be asked in Croke Park on September 30 to vote on a proposal which allows counties to increase the minimum age for adult from turning 17 before the championship year.

Cork had postponed a special convention on foot of advice from the rules advisory committee who had anticipated this recommendation would be forthcoming. Cork last year backed to retain minor as U18 with decoupling from adult set to commence in 2024.

Meanwhile, there will tiers to the All-Ireland minor football championship should a motion be passed at Special Congress. It is envisaged that those counties outside the eight provincial finalists who progress to the knock-out stages will go into lower tier competitions.

Provincial councils will also be empowered to change the format of their U20 competitions from knock-out should another proposal receive the green light.

As expected, doing away with the All-Ireland senior hurling preliminary quarter-finals is in the pipeline with the Joe McDonagh Cup championship to run almost concurrently with the Liam MacCarthy Cup should it be passed.

After there was little support for the All-Ireland SFC final being pushed into August at Saturday’s Central Council meeting, it is proposed the senior football and hurling finals be played by or on the last Sunday in July as opposed to the 29th Sunday in the year.

While the GAA are forging ahead with a motion to change the composition of their management committee to reflect gender balance of 40%, which is a funding stipulation made by the Government. If passed, Coiste Bainisti will initially increase in size next year to ensure two-fifths of the body is female before reducing to 16 by 2026 when at least seven of the committee will be women.

All the motions that will be voted on at GAA Special Congress

1. That the Munster senior hurling runners-up face the third-placed Leinster SHC team in an All-Ireland quarter-final and vice-versa (Central Competitions Control Committee).

2. That the second and third-placed Joe McDonagh Cup teams face each other in a semi-final (second-placed team at home), the winners facing the table-toppers in the final (CCCC).

3. That lower tiers in the All-Ireland minor football championship be created for the teams outside the eight who qualify for their respective provincial championship finals (CCCC/Development CCC).

4. That Galway’s minor hurlers be permanently considered participants in the Leinster championship (CCCC/Development CCC).

5. That provincial councils may be permitted to organise their U20 championships as they see fit, ie does not need to be knockout (CCCC/Development CCC).

6. That All-Ireland senior football and hurling finals be played on or before the last Sunday in July barring exceptional circumstances when Central Council can make other arrangements (CCCC/Development CCC).

7. That a county’s Central Council representative must be a member of the county executive/committee (Central Council review workgroup).

8. That a Central Council member representing the same unit for five years either consecutively or cumulatively is ineligible to hold that position for the next five-year period (Central Council review workgroup).

9. That Management Committee, to help reflect gender balance, increase to 21 voting members for 2024 – president, director general (up to 2026), five provincial chairpersons, two Congress representatives (one male, one female), one Central Council member from each of the four home provinces, one female elected or appointed by each of the four provinces, two female GAA members nominated by the GAA president and director general, one Camogie Association and one Ladies Gaelic Football Association representative. By 206, it will decrease to 16 voting members. (Management Committee, Central Council).

10. That the structure of the GAA Official Guide be amended (Rules advisory committee).

11. That a county may be empowered to increase their eligibility rules to prevent a player who celebrates his 17th birthday prior to January 1 of the championship year from playing in the competition (Central Council).