Championship draw will be live on RTÉ

The GAA and RTÉ have confirmed that the draws for the 2010 GAA Senior Football and Hurling Championships will be screened live on RTÉ Television and worldwide on RTÉ.ie

The draws for the two Senior Championships will now take place in Croke Park on Thursday, 22 October. They were originally scheduled for Tuesday, 20 October.

GAA President Christy Cooney welcomed the announcement.

He said: 'We're delighted that the draws for our inter-county Championship competitions will be broadcast live on television by RTÉ...

'The draws generates huge interest among our members and followers of our games and it is always our intention to bring them to the widest audience possible.'

Looking to the future, Cooney has also revealed that he is open to debate on the idea of an open draw for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

Speaking to the Examiner in the aftermath of Saturday's Special Congress, he said: ' I want to get to the situation where, at next year's Congress, we'll have a roadmap for the development of hurling and a structure for our championships that will stand the test of time.

'There have been soundings over the last number of weeks and comments from interested parties that it's time to look at an open draw for the hurling championship.

'But if we look at an open draw for hurling, do we look at an open draw in football? I don't know, but if it comes from counties that we should look at the format of our hurling championship we will look at it. That's not to say it'll change, but if people want to raise it as an issue, it will be part of our discussions.

'Maybe it will come on the agenda, and it's certainly an option we should consider discussing.'

The draws will coincide with the launch of 'The GAA - A People's History', a new book that is being released as part of the celebrations of the GAA's 125th anniversary.