Bailey wins a tight vote

GAELIC GAMES: John Bailey retained his position as chairman of the Dublin County Board at the annual convention in Parnell Park last night but lost his role as Central Council representative to Gerry Brady.

Bailey saw off vice-chairman Gerry Harrington by just 25 votes (141 to 116, eight spoiled) but he was beaten 137 to 123 by Brady, thus ending his dual role in the two highest positions, via election, in Dublin GAA.

It has been a turbulent year in the capital with the executive coming under heavy criticism for the manner in which they sought a replacement for Tommy Lyons as Dublin football manager.

Before the voting, Bailey asked the club delegates: "Not to fix something that isn't broken." He acknowledged how difficult a year it had been but also pointed out the financially stable position of the board, while referring to the new strategic policy resource committee, set up to bring the GAA in the capital forward.

Harrington, from Naomh Mearnog club, retained his position as vice-chairman by 99 votes over Sean Shanley.

Several motions to national congress were also passed, most notably Kilmacud Crokes' amendment to Rule 42, which called for the addition of the paragraph: "It shall not be in contravention of paragraphs (a) and (b) Rule 42, Rule 4 and Rule 5 Official Guide 2003 or any other Rule in Official Guide 2003 for the company of Páirc an Chrócaigh Teoranta to use or allow to be used all or any of the property vested in that company for any purpose which in the opinion of the members of Central Council as members of the company is commercially beneficial to the Association."

Secretary John Costello's report called for suspensions handed down by the GAC to be "code specific" if four weeks or less. This referred directly to Conal Keaney's red card while playing for the Dublin hurlers, which made him ineligible to line out for the senior footballers in this year's championship.