The Kerry hurlers will be automatically admitted to the Munster hurling championship in the future should they win the Joe McDonagh Cup after GAA Congress endorsed the proposition almost unanimously at Croke Park this afternoon.
Munster GAA's Motion 19, specifying that Kerry hurlers should gain automatic entry to the Munster hurling championship after winning the second-tier competition, passed with the support of 91% of the delegates.
The result means that the play-off previously provided for between Kerry and the fifth-placed Munster team will be abolished.
Should Kerry win the 2023 Joe McDonagh Cup, then the 2024 Munster championship will have six teams.
Overall, there will be 11 teams competing across the two provincial championships, five in one, six in the other. Munster counties will compete in Munster, while the rest will enter Leinster.
The outcome does raise the possibility that one member of the existing Munster quintet could yet slip into the Joe McDonagh Cup, should they finish bottom of a six-team provincial round robin.
Elsewhere, Motion 7 was the subject of intense debate, with the proposal to move the minor grade from under-17 back to under-18 rejected by the delegates.
Cork CEO Kevin O'Donovan argued for the restoration of under-18 as the minor age grade, arguing the split season had resolved the previous issues. However, the motion was rejected after presentations by Dr Pat O'Neill and Michael Geoghagan on player burnout. GPA CEO Tom Parsons also spoke against the motion, stressing the need to protect players with multiple eligibility.
67.7% of delegates voted down the motion, meaning that the minor grade will remain at under-17.
However, Wexford's Motion 10 arguing for the relaxing of the prohibition on senior players competing at under-20 level passed with 82% of the vote.
The motion proposed that the existing prohibition on senior players togging out at under-20 level be restricted to a seven-day window. The outcome means players can play at both senior and under-20 level but not within seven days of one another.
Later on, both motions proposed by the standing committee on playing rules passed easily.
Motion 58 concerned hurling throw-ins, with all bar the four players contesting the throw-in to be outside the two 45m lines. The proposal passed with 89.5% of the vote.
Motion 59 - inspired by last year's All-Ireland football semi-final between Kerry and Dublin - proposed that a free or a sideline would be retaken if a score was prevented due to a player interfering with the goalposts. The proposal was endorsed by 96.6% of delegates.
GAA Congress 2023 opened last night, with Jarlath Burns being elected as the 41st GAA president on the first count.
It was confirmed this evening that Galway will enter this year's Leinster minor hurling championship, Central Council taking the decision after Congress last night endorsed Motion 14 proposing that the Tribesmen's under-17s would enter a provincial championship.
