New move to open Croke Park

A fresh debate on the opening of Croke Park to other sports appears certain at next year's GAA Congress as a number of motions to amend Rule 42 go before county conventions in the coming weeks.

Roscommon and Longford - two of the main proponents of last April's motion to modify the rule that is used to prohibit soccer and rugby being played in Croke Park - are among those set to renew the debate. The motion was narrowly defeated last time out, and one switched vote would have swung the 176-89 vote in favour to the required two-thirds majority.

The debate is again likely to focus on opening Croke Park alone rather than the wider remit of opening all GAA grounds.

The Kilmore club in Roscommon last year forwarded the motion that, if passed, would give Central Council the power to amend the rule and club chairman Tommy Kenoy has confirmed that the same motion will be proposed to the county convention on Friday night.

The motion is expected to receive unanimous support - Kilmore met in the weeks after last April's vote and decided then to proceed with the same motion for next year's Congress. According to Kenoy, the same wording will stand and deals specifically with giving Central Council the authority to consider leasing Croke Park to other games as they see fit, without affecting provincial grounds.

There will be two motions from Longford clubs proposed at their county convention on Friday week and they are also likely to receive unanimous support.

Legan Sarsfields will submit a motion "to amend the rule so that Central Council get to decide on the use of Croke Park," according to club member TJ Ward, a former county chairman. "It is specific to Croke Park and doesn't concern the wider issue."

Grattan ╙g are also set to resubmit their motion of last year allowing for the opening of all grounds to other sports. That motion also went to Congress last year but with all the focus on the Kilmore motion, Longford withdrew their proposal and swung in behind Roscommon.

Last year also had Laois calling for change after the Shanahoe club had tabled its motion on the rule some 18 months previously. Shanahoe didn't resubmit their motion at last Saturday's convention but according to county secretary Liam O'Neill, that doesn't mean the county wouldn't be supporting an amendment to Rule 42.

"We got behind the Shanahoe motion because at the time we were heading into the cost of redeveloping O'Moore Park and it gave us the opportunity to use that ground for other sports under certain circumstances and on certain occasions," he said.

"All the talk then focused on the use of Croke Park and our motion was lost somewhat, and we decided instead to follow the motion of Roscommon as the chance to debate the issue. But to be honest the opening of Croke Park wouldn't affect us in any way, although we probably will follow the Roscommon motion like before."

Last year's debate was not without its controversy as the vote was taken the day after it was revealed that the Government had agreed to give the GAA a grant of over £60 million towards the completion of Croke Park.

There were also some heated exchanges when GAA president Seβn McCague refused to authorise a recount.

English delegates weren't allowed to attend the meeting last year because of the foot-and-mouth crisis, and their presence next time is likely to offer further support for change.

Last year, 309 delegates were registered but 44 didn't vote for various reasons.

The main argument against change was that the Roscommon motion was the "thin end of the wedge" which would result in pressure being exerted on all units of the GAA to let out their grounds.

Down's Eamonn O'Toole echoed the point by saying that the GAA couldn't have one rule for one ground and another for another. Cork's Frank Murphy also said at the time that supporting the motion would mean that the GAA would not be sincere in its support for the national stadium.

In the aftermath, however, director general Liam Mulvihill expressed surprise at how far the pendulum had swung on the issue. It looks likely to have swung even further by next Easter.