County Convention 2024 will take place on Monday 2nd December 2024 at 7 p.m. in Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford. The following nominations and motions have been received:
Nominations
- Chairperson: Bobby Goff, John Kenny
- Vice Chairperson: Cathal Byrne, Dermot Howlin
- Secretary: Aoife Parle
- Assistant Secretary: Brian Molloy
- Treasurer: Brian McDonald
- Coaching Officer: Kevin Doyle
- Offigeach Gaeilge & Cultúr: Tony Dempsey
- PRO: Colm Lambert
- Leinster Council (2): Ger Carthy; Michael Hennesy-Cullen; Dermot Howlin; PJ Howlin
- Central Council: Micheál Martin
- Delegates to Attend Congress:
- Delegates to attend Leinster Convention: Dermot Howlin
Motions
Motion 1 – Our Lady’s Island
That any player turning 18 on or after Jan 1st of that calendar year will be eligible to play adult football and hurling from Junior grade down. All other relevant bye laws to be amended accordingly.
Motion 2 – Geraldine O’Hanrahan’s
A committee is set up with a member from each district to act as a representative group for players and clubs. This group would act as an outlet for problems that players and or clubs may be experiencing. This committee would meet with all governing bodies within the county board on an ongoing basis to deal with any issues arising.
Motion 3 – St. Mary’s Rosslare & Buffers Alley
To protect and promote hurling.
Background: Our National Sport of Hurling has slipped out of the Top 10 activities in Ireland (Sports Ireland and Sheffield Hallam University Report 2021). Furthermore, less than 2% of sports players over the age of 16 list Hurling as a game they play (Fayey, Layte & Gannon ESRI) and the drop out rate from Hurling in the 21-26 age bracket is over 75% (Keeping Them in the Game – Irish Sports Council/ESRI). Hurling, along with Camogie, was granted official recognition from UNESCO on the List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It is vital that the GAA as the governing body for Hurling, both protect and promote the sport no different than the obligation on the OPW to protect and promote the UNESCO heritage sites at Newgrange, Scelig Mhicíl and the Giant’s Causeway.
Purpose: To reverse the slide in the participation of Hurling by ensuring that every Child on the Island of Ireland is afforded an equal opportunity to learn and play Hurling in their formative years. By providing an experience of Hurling, along with appropriate coaching and encouragement, it is envisaged that, over time, an increasing number of players will choose to participate in Hurling as their primary sport.
Rationale: By ensuring that EVERY GAA Club in Ireland provides a competent experience of hurling to their pre-competitive Nursery/Child players, the number of children, and ultimately players, participating in the Sport of Hurling will grow exponentially over time.
Motion: That a new Rule be inserted into Chapter 6 of An Treoir Offigúil to read:
Every Club shall field at least one Hurling Team at Under 7, Under 8, Under 9 and/or Under 10 Age Grades and every County shall organise hurling games on the ‘Go Games’ model for Under 7 or Under 8 and Under 9 or Under 10 Age Grades. Clubs shall be deemed exempt from this rule by their County Committee in the following circumstances:
(i) any exclusively football Club that can demonstrate that it’s Under 7, Under 8, Under 9 and/or Under 10 Players are afforded hurling at an exclusively hurling Club or dual code Club; or
(ii) any Club that, by sheer demographics, can demonstrate it does not have the numbers to comply.
Penalty for Breach: Fine of €250 for the first year of non-compliance by any Club, with the fine to double for each consecutive year of non-compliance.
In addition, that Riail 6.11 T.O. 2024 be amended to add the following definitions for the age grades mentioned above:
Under 10: A Player shall have celebrated their 7th birthday prior to January 1st. and their 10th birthday on or after January 1st. of the Championship Year
Under 9: A Player shall have celebrated their 6th birthday prior to January 1st. and their 9th birthday on or after January 1st. of the Championship Year
Under 8: A Player shall have celebrated their 5th birthday prior to January 1st. and their 8th birthday on or after January 1st. of the Championship Year
Under 7: A Player shall have celebrated their 5th birthday prior to January 1st. and their 7th birthday on or after January 1st. of the Championship Year
Motion 4 – Glynn-Barntown
On the 140th anniversary, that the GAA lobby the Irish Government to have Gaelic Games included as an integral part of the curriculum at both primary and secondary school level.
Motion 5 – St. Joseph’s
Any player turning 18 on or after the 1st of January of that calendar year will be eligible to play adult football and hurling. All relevant bye laws should be amended accordingly.
Motion 6 – Buffers Alley
To educate and rehabilitate players that have acted by in a racist, sectarian or anti inclusion / diversity nature towards an opponent or match official.
That Riail 7.3 (q) T.O. 2024 in respect of the reduction of suspensions and penalties be amended as follows to require Central Council to prescribe what an appropriate course of training or eduction for a Player suspended for a Category VI infraction having acted by in Racist, Sectarian or Anti-Inclusion/Diversity nature towards an opponent or Match Official as no such courses exist within the Assocation today.
(q) A Council or Committee which imposes a Suspension or other Penalty for a Category VI infraction shall have the power, on one subsequent occasion, to reduce the penalty imposed on application of the Player affected, where the Player can satisfy the Council or Committee concerned that the player has completed an appropriate course of training or education. Central Council shall prescribe and provide such appropriate courses of training or education for the assistance of Members and Units. Any such reduction shall result in a penalty of not less than:
- Where the Player is over 18 years, a 24 Weeks Suspension in all Codes and at all Levels together with a Four Match Suspension in the same Code and at the same level, applicable to the next games in the same Competition, even if one or more games occur(s) in the following year’s competition.
- Where the player is 18 years or under, a 12 Week Suspenion in all Codes and at all Levels together with a Two Match Suspension in the same Code and at the same level, applicable to the next games in the same Competition, even if one or more games occur(s) in the following year’s competition.
