The GAA Annual Congress brought a surge of drama to the world of sports administration similar to that of the Olympic Council of Ireland’s EGM earlier in the month and when the dust had settled there was change to some of the things which seemed as though they would always be there.
Here are six key points to emerge from events at Croke Park on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
President
John Horan wil be the next President of the GAA. The Dubliner hails from Na Fianna GAA Club, the same as former Gaelic Players CEO Dessie Farrell and Minister Paschal O’Donoghue. It is likely he will lead a root and branch strategic review of the Association given his comments that one had not been undertaken fully since 2002.
As a headmaster of St Vincent’s School in Glasnevin and having risen through the administrative ranks of schools rather than county GAA, the role of games in schools and colleges will also likely be a key feature.
August
The All Ireland Hurling and Football Championships will take place in 2018, 2019 and 2020 at least in August rather than September.
The motion for this change was overwhelmingly carried. It creates a longer season in better weather for the Club Championships in those counties who see success at the business end of the Championships. It will end the excitement in schools during the run up to a Final but that only ever impacted on a maximum of four counties each year.
Yes it does end the tradition of Sundays in September but all sporting tradition is only a century old and hardly then in the same place as say moving St Patricks Day from March to May.
Super 8
What was thought to be a knife edge vote turned out to be overwhelmingly in favour of change. Quarter Finals will be replaced by two groups of four playing Round Robin matches to determine four semi finalists who will play off over a single weekend.
It will come into effect from next year and add excitement and narrative to a football Championship that had of late been stale through to the semi final stage.
We will cover the reaction to the change in an opinion article on Monday morning.
Gambling
The first steps have now been formally taken to combat a growing serious problem with gambling. Players and officials will now be forbidden from betting on games they are involved in. That covers the threat to integrity though it will also need to be followed through by education already started among players and clubs on the danger to some of an activity that is omnipresent in society.
Future Change
The threshold for future change has been lowered from 66% to 60%. This could lead to faster change in an era where that is feted. Care needs to be taken though that knee jerk reactions don’t come to the fore.
