THIS year's GAA annual Congress which takes place in London on the Easter weekend, will decide two matters of pressing importance one concerning policy and the other concerning personality.

Just as the proposals for reform of the hurling championships are reported to be enjoying a swing towards acceptance after initially looking doomed, the presidential election, after looking thoroughly predictable, has developed into an interesting contest between front runners Joe McDonagh of Galway and Sean McCague from Monaghan.

Three years ago, McDonagh performed so well in finishing runner up to Jack Boothman that the consensus was summed up by the comment "We elected two presidents today". McDonagh was, how ever, left with a knotty problem despite his unexpectedly strong showing how to survive three years as a perceived certainty to win the election.

Now he has been joined on the ballot by three candidates McCague, a former chairman of the "Games Administration Committee Jimmy Grey, a former Leinster Council chairman and Noel Walsh, currently chairman of the Munster Council.

A rough survey of a number of GAA officials, in all four provinces, indicates that McDonagh and McCague are likely to go head to head for the presidency, with Walsh and Grey, at best, not expected to the duel and, at worst, thought likely by some to withdraw and leave the field a two horse race.

Predictions are tricky in this election, as a tendency for block votes to disintegrate has been noted. Although all four provinces are seated on the ballot, it is rare for a candidate to command unanimous support within their own province. Even county delegations sometimes split and mandates are notoriously hard to enforce.

The votes break down as follows Leinster is the biggest block with around 90, Ulster has 66, Munster 59, Connacht 33 and overseas units around 50.

Despite being a Leinster candidate, Jimmy Grey is not fancied, mainly because of a poor showing the last time out, when he was surprised by Boothman's late entry to the race, and also his distaste for, the uninhibited electioneering that, now attends the presidential contest.

Noel Walsh is believed to suffer from association with unpopular decisions at Munster Council level and will find it difficult to expand his base sufficiently to compensate.

Even if Grey and Walsh remain in the race, their votes are likely to come back into circulation before the final ballot. The 50 or so votes from the overseas units, Britain and North America, went strongly with McDonagh the last time out when he effectively canvassed their support But this year they may break less decisively.

McDonagh and McCague are delegates to Central Council, but they can be contrasted in, many ways. McDonagh is comparatively inexperienced in administration and his appeal largely rests on his energy and outgoing personality. McCague has chaired the GAC and has a reputation for directness.

McDonagh was a well known inter county hurler who captained Galway in All Ireland finals whereas McCague managed Monaghan to three Ulster football titles and a National League as well as being assistant manager to Eugene McGee when Ireland toured Australia in 1990.

Although provinces don't vote en bloc, McCague is clearly advantaged by coming from an Ulster base with twice the votes available to McDonagh's home province.

The fact that the election has become a close two way battle hasn't affected the exchanges in what is one of the more mannerly elections of recent times, with both front runners said to be on reasonable personal terms "no aggro" in the words of one observer.

Like any politician in his position, McDonagh is naturally sitting on his lead and taking few risks as congress approaches. McCague, equally unsurprisingly, has been happy to speak up on most matters that arise.

It's impossible to extrapolate from the last election where the votes will go in a new field of candidates, but McDonagh is again likely to do well in Connacht and badly in Ulster. He appears to be slightly favoured in Munster, once Noel Walsh leaves the fray, and Leinster is therefore likely to hold the key.

Jimmy Grey should hold a number of votes in the province, but where they will disperse for the final ballot is unclear.

Tipperary hurler John Leahy has been returned for trial in Manchester on charges of attacking a Limerick man in a nightclub earlier this year. He was released on bail of £10,000.