GAELIC GAMES:AMIDST CONCERNS that such behaviour may ultimately lead to fatalities, the GAA is considering lobbying the Government for the introduction of legislation to prevent post-match pitch invasions.

At yesterday evening’s opening session of the 125th anniversary Annual Congress in Cork’s Rochestown Park hotel, the association’s Central Council also decided to embark on an educational campaign to prevent such invasions taking place.

One delegate, Roscommon’s Tommy Kenoy, told delegates last night that the association was close to a disaster. “There is a very real possibility that we will have a serious injury or fatalities. We have been within a whisker of that and but for the intervention of medical staff we would have been in that territory.”

His remarks were endorsed by the GAA’s director general Páraic Duffy, who described the practice as “exceptionally dangerous” and added that fears about fatalities were “not alarmist”.

In recent years the matter has become of acute concern in Croke Park where large crowds frequently rush onto the pitch after matches, particularly in the later stages of the championship.

Stadium director Peter McKenna revealed late last year that the insurance costs of settling claims for injuries incurred in the course of these invasions had climbed to €200,000.

He added that each pitch invasion had the same impact on the playing surface as eight matches and had led to resurfacing having to be brought forward by a year to 2010, a procedure that is expected to cost €1 million.

Central Council also confirmed that helmets will be compulsory for all hurlers from next January. This is in line with a decision taken at last year’s congress in Sligo.

Matt Shaw has been proposed as the new secretary of the Disputes Resolution Authority and, subject to the endorsement of congress, will replace Liam Keane who filled the role for four years. Shaw is a Mullingar-based solicitor and has been a highly active member of the association.

Today the main business of congress will be the debating of the proposed disciplinary reforms, which were trialled during this year’s national leagues. The proposals require a two-thirds majority to be incorporated into the Official Guide.

Judging by the mood of the reformers in Cork yesterday the task may be too great with the anticipated vote likely to fall somewhere between a simple majority and the necessary 67 per cent.

It was announced yesterday that Kildare’s veteran centrefielder Dermot Earley had been cleared to play in the opening Leinster championship clash with Offaly on 24th May in Portlaoise.

The former All Star had requested a hearing rather than accept the eight-week suspension proposed by the Central Competitions Control Committee.

After reviewing DVD evidence on Thursday night the Central Hearings Committee decided that Earley had committed a less serious infraction than the alleged head-butt for which he had been red carded by referee Joe McQuillan. CHC found that the player should have been shown a yellow card.

The Tipperary County Board had also requested a hearing rather than accept a fine for ‘disruptive conduct by their players’. CHC decided however to impose a fine of €2,500.

Carlow’s Alan Curran, sent off against Wicklow last week for striking an opponent, received a four-week suspension.