The former GAA president, Mr Jack Boothman, who first broached the possibility of repealing Rule 21, spoke yesterday about Saturday's congress and strongly supported Mr McDonagh's move.
"In September 1994 I said that in the context of a political settlement in which the national and cultural traditions of all Ireland were equally recognised and respected the concept of an exclusion rule would have no relevance.
"There may be some effort at semantics in terms of the words settlement and agreement, but if 99 per cent of nationalists in the North and 96 per cent of people in the South back an agreement which includes the issue of policing, that's good enough for me.
"I know that people in the South can't altogether appreciate what nationalists in the North have gone through. I can't fully appreciate it even though I've been a regular visitor there. Things like the big security installations in places like Crossmaglen really hit you when you're not used to them.
"I understand Joe's [McDonagh] desire to do this as soon as possible. There's no point in hanging around because there'll always be some reason not to do it - the marching season just about to begin, the marching season just ended and I can't see the relevance of it. I'd hate to see an agenda being dictated to us by others."