The GAA is to donate £250,000 from central coffers to the fund for victims of the Omagh bombing. The decision was taken at Saturday morning's Central Council meeting in Rosslare and announced by association's president Joe McDonagh after the afternoon's special congress.

Of the total, £200,000 comes from the Offaly-Clare re-fixture in Thurles on August 29th and the balance of £50,000 was voted through by Central Council who also decided to ask counties to appoint special officers to co-ordinate the response to director general Liam Mulvihill's letter to clubs on behalf of the Omagh appeal.

"As the initial reaction to the dreadful events is subsiding somewhat," said McDonagh, "the desperate results are not, and are if anything exacerbated. A letter was circulated to the counties by the ard stiurthoir about the fund and while we recognise the difficulties you have, we would ask you to circulate your clubs and delegate a person to co-ordinate the response ahead of our target date of December 8th. "Our main sponsors have also indicated a willingness to make a contribution," he said.