GAA Special Congress Set for September 30th: Key Motions Up for Debate
Motion 1: Liam MacCarthy Cup Preliminary Quarter-Finals Abolished
– Proposal to eliminate the All-Ireland SHC Preliminary Quarter-Finals.
– Joe McDonagh Cup champions and runners-up skip preliminary rounds.
– Effective from the 2024 season.
Motion 2: Joe McDonagh Cup Format Adjustment
– Introduces a semi-final in the Joe McDonagh Cup.
– Aims to prevent dead rubber games in the final round.
– Effective from the 2024 season, dependent on Motion 1.
Motion 3: All-Ireland Minor Football Championships Restructuring
– Introduces tiered knock-out competitions post-provincial championships.
– Additional tiered competitions for more counties.
– Effective from the 2024 season.
Motion 4: Changes to All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
– Galway and Ulster teams join Leinster Minor Championship.
– Alters the All-Ireland series structure.
– Effective from the 2024 season.
Motion 5: Enabling U-20 Round-Robin Championships
– Allows provincial councils to organize U-20 round-robin championships.
– Designed at the discretion of each province.
Motion 6: All-Ireland Senior Finals Date Adjustment
– Seeks to permanently move finals to the last Sunday in July.
– Addresses deviations from the current rule.
Motion 7: Mandatory Role for County Delegates
– Requires a County’s Central Council delegate to be a management committee member.
– Requires a 60% majority and would take effect one month after Congress.
Motion 8: Term Extension for Central Council Delegates
– Allows a Central Council delegate to serve non-consecutive terms.
– Requires a five-year gap before serving another term.
Motion 9: Gender Balance in Central Council Management Committee
– Aims for a minimum of 40% female or male representation.
– Three-stage process towards gender balance.
– Informed by the Voluntary Sporting Governance Code.
Motion 10: Reformatting the GAA’s Official Guide
– Separates fundamental aims and structure (Part 1) from playing rules (Part 2).
– Rules related to procedures and policies become ‘Codes’ under Central Council.
– Increased use of technology and online versions.
Motion 11: Age Eligibility for Adult Club Level
– Requires a player to celebrate their 17th birthday before January 1st of the Championship year.
– Allows flexibility for county committees to set higher age limits for specific competitions.
*For more details on each motion, including the full text, visit the official GAA website.*
