This weekend's GAA Congress at Donegal will see a focus on a new football championship structure and potential green light for provincial and All-Ireland replays, but there are some interesting hurling motions flying under the radar.
Maastricht GAA have called for Rule 6.12 (C) of the official guide to be amended to allow Europe compete in the Lory Meagher Cup in 2026.
If this proposal is successful it would need to be approved on an annual basis by Central Council following proposals from the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC).
Central Council and the CCCC also have a proposal that New York GAA would compete in this year’s Lory Meagher Cup with a general format outlined to allow six teams play on a round-robin basis.
Each county would have three home games and two away games which shall rotate every other year.
The top team would qualify directly for the final with the second-place side taking on New York - in Ireland – in a semi-final.
Another significant motion comes from St Mary’s, Rosslare, the home club of hurling legend Liam Griffin.
St Mary’s want a new rule inserted that every GAA club shall field at least one hurling team at Under-7, Under-8, Under-9 and/or Under-10 age grades.
Two years ago, the motion got 34.6% support and failed to pass.
Their proposal also seeks that every county would organise hurling games on the 'Go Games’ model in those age grades.
Any exclusively football club would be encouraged to demonstrate that its Under-7, Under-8, Under-9 and/or Under-10 players are afforded hurling at an exclusively hurling or dual-code club.
Unless demographics demonstrate that a club does not have the numbers to comply with this proposal, penalties for the breach of the suggested rule would result in a fine of €250 for the first year of non-compliance, with the fine to double for each consecutive year of non-compliance.
The motion is devised by Griffin in a bid to expand hurling’s base.
New GAA Head of Hurling Willie Maher told RTÉ Sport recently that one of his targets is to introduce grants for start-up clubs, so it is thought the proposal could find more support this time around.
Griffin argues that GAA members have a chance to hurl across Europe, in Asia, Australia and across the globe, yet some people do not have that opportunity in Ireland.
Another long-term campaigner for change in hurling is two-time All-Ireland winner, Conor O’Donovan from Nenagh Eire Óg in Tipperary.
Since 2018, O’Donovan has campaigned for the GAA to clamp down on thrown hand-passes.
His club has a motion to amend the handpass Rule 4.2, proposing that the transfer of the ball from the holding hand be prohibited.
The former full-back says that a pass from the non-holding hand or hand-passing from either hand after it has first been bounced on the hurley are alternatives and he arrives at Congress with support from a number of counties.
Watch Tipperary v Cork in the Allianz Hurling League on Saturday from 7.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
