Every panel member from Armagh and Clare are set to receive All-Ireland medals

EXTRA MEDALS: Last year’s All-Ireland senior champions Armagh and Clare are set to retrospectively benefit from a motion allowing for every panel member to receive the same gold-plated winning medal. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Last year’s All-Ireland senior champions Armagh and Clare are set to retrospectively benefit from a motion allowing for every panel member to receive the same gold-plated winning medal.

Armagh passed a motion last month to increase the amount of identical Celtic Cross medals that can be issued to All-Ireland winning players. The proposal is due to be heard at the next Central Council meeting.

Currently, the rule states All-Ireland senior winning counties each receive 26 nine-carat gold medals with the opportunity to order five replicas for additional panel members. Each All-Ireland winning medal costs approximately €250 and replicas around €50.

At their annual convention, Armagh tabled a motion to seek permission for the purchase and distribution of additional identical medals from Central Council. The go-ahead from Ard Chomhairle is required as the design of the medal is registered property of the GAA.

Last Saturday week, Clare held their medal presentation in Dromoland Castle with 42 on the panel, meaning 16 more Celtic Crosses are required. Armagh’s 2024 squad also comprised 42 players. Armagh’s motion does not extend to runners-up, who also receive medals.

Forty-two is double the number of medals that were awarded to players up to the late 1990s and the change would mark a distinct relaxing of the GAA’s medal commissioning when for many years it was strictly administered.

In 1997, Kerry captain Mike Hassett wasn’t given a medal having missed the All-Ireland semi-final against Cavan and not returned to the panel for the final win over Mayo.

Seven years later, and with the allowance having risen from 21 to 30 before it was lowered in later years, rookie Bryan Sheehan missed out on a medal despite being part of Kerry’s All-Ireland final winning squad. The county board felt Darragh Ó Sé, who missed out on the win over Mayo through injury, deserved one.

“We have 30 medals and that's it," said chairman Seán Walsh at the time. "Someone like Darragh Ó Sé who played in the semi-final and every game up to the final has to get one. We'll have to sit down and look back at who played, when and where, but the bottom line is that we're only talking about 30 players."

Sheehan and Ronan Ó Flatharta, both of whom had yet to make their senior debut for Kerry, were asked by a county officer to guess in which closed fist he was holding the medal. The An Ghaeltacht man won out.

As well as medals, Armagh and Clare captains Aidan Forker and Tony Kelly were each entitled as per rule to a miniature replica of the Sam Maguire Cup and Liam MacCarthy Cup respectively.

As reported by the “Irish Examiner” last month, Armagh and Clare as well as senior runners-up Cork and Galway each received a considerably improved €150,000 towards their team holidays from the GAA, up from €80,000 in previous years.

It is understood the 88% jump in the grants will be partly covered by their respective provincial councils. The increase followed lobbying from Armagh and Clare who argued they were not able to fundraise sufficiently in the two-week window between the All-Ireland semi-final and final.