Danesfort seek permission allowing GAA clubs to make ancillary facilities available for other sports

The Kilkenny club's motion is one of 40 which will be debated at the GAA's Annual Congress later this month. A new All-Ireland SFC format is expected to be voted in.

MOTION: Danesfort's proposal would allow GAA clubs to make facilities like astroturf pitches and gyms available to other community organisations. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Kilkenny club Danesfort are seeking permission allowing GAA clubs to make their ancillary facilities available to other community-based sports.

Their motion is one of 40 to be debated at Annual Congress in Donegal town on Saturday week.

The club of Richie Hogan and Paul Murphy want clubs to be allowed provide access or rent out the likes of astroturf pitches and gyms to different codes as well as health and well-being groups.

To do so, 60% of delegates will have to vote in favour of the proposal to amend Rule 5.1 (a), which states “all property including Grounds, Club Houses, Halls, Dressing Rooms and Handball Alleys owned or controlled by units of the Association (“Association Property”) shall be used only for the purpose of or in connection with the playing of the Games controlled by the Association, and for such other purposes, which accord with the Aims of the Association, that may be sanctioned from time to time by Central Council.” 

It is expected that if the motion is successful, public liability insurance will be required by those non-GAA parties using the facilities. Last month, Central Council agreed for Derry GAA to make available their centre of excellence in Owenbeg to League of Ireland soccer club Derry City.

Also included in the list of motions is former Tipperary defender Conor O’Donovan’s proposal via his Nenagh Éire Óg club and county to amend the hand-pass from the non-holding hand as a means of curbing thrown transfers.

Wexford’s 1996 All-Ireland winning manager Liam Griffin is again seeking for hurling to be a requisite in all clubs’ nurseries (U7 to U10). Clontarf, led by former Dublin footballer Noel McCaffrey, are insisting a player may only be eligible for inter-county championship by lining out for his club in four league matches that same season.

A new All-Ireland SFC format is expected to be voted in, which would cut the number of championship games and disband the post-provincial round-robin element.

Instead, there will be qualifiers in both the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups with the winners of the last 16 in each progressing to Round 2A. The losers will face off in Round 2B where the beaten sides will exit the championship.

The Round 2A winners will qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals where they will be joined by the three Round 3 winners, which pit the four Round 2A losers against the four Round 2B winners.

As a fourth Special Congress in as many years is set to be held in Croke Park on October 4 to finalise the Football Review Committee rules, Connacht, Leinster and Munster are seeking to give Central Council permission to decide the size and representation at those gatherings. A successfully Fermanagh motion previously returned Special Congress to the same size as the annual event.