‘No limits’ on work of GAA’s minor age grade review committee

The chair of a new committee to review the minor age grade in Gaelic games has said that there are "no limitations" to the remit of its work. Micheál Martin, who is chair of Croke Park's Games Development Committee, has also been appointed to head up the Minor Review Work Group.

Established in January, the work group didn’t begin work in earnest until after last the recent annual congress, as there were a number of motions relevant to its terms of reference on the clár.

Tipperary succeeded in removing under-16s from inter-county minor consideration but Monaghan’s proposal to alter the age category from under-18 to under-17 was withdrawn amidst indications that it would be defeated.

Describing the work group’s terms of reference as “no holds barred”, Martin said that GAA president Liam O’Neill had given them a wide brief.

“In fairness to the uachtarán there are no limitations whatsoever,” according to Martin, “no instructions other than to find a set of proposals that might address any issues that are there and find the best solution for 17, 18, 19 and 20-year old players although our primary focus is looking at the minor grade.”

Issues of fixture planning, burn-out and other health and safety considerations have arisen. The GAA’s 2007 Burnout Work Group suggested amalgamating minor and under-21 in an under-19 grade and Monaghan’s proposal of an under-17 age limit for minor had already been floated at the end of last year by the second report of the Football Review Committee - a recommendation that is one of the work group’s terms of reference.

“We’ll try to consult as widely as possible in order to look at everything, not just age grades but the windows where games are played and the balance between club, school, county and colleges as well.

“The minor age grade is a difficult issue because of the multi-eligibility in terms of teams but you’d like to think that with a good level of discussion and consultation that we cane come to some agreement. I’m very open-minded about what this might be but I think the vast majority of people would accept that there are issues that must be addressed.

“I’ve been contacted by people saying, ‘we need a coach’s charter’. It’s also been proposed that someone be made responsible for regulating all activity at under-age - I don’t know that you’d call them ‘a burnout commissioner’ but taking care of that area. There are lots and lots of ideas.

“We’ll be trying to assemble them, look at them with an open enough mind to come up with possible solutions. It may be that the view will be that the present grades should be retained and there is the potential to stay at 18 and address the windows where we play the games.”

MINOR REVIEW WORK GROUP

Chair: Micheál Martin (Chair, Games Development Committee), John Fahey (member, Games Development Committee/ Post Primary Schools representative), Brendan Colleran (Chair, Connacht Games Development Committee), Gerry Fahey (Chair, Ulster Games Development Committee), Jack Devaney (Central Council), Eamonn O'Sullivan (Kerry), John Costigan (member CCCC), Tommy Lanigan (Chair, Hurling Development Committee), Ger Ryan (Chair, Medical and Scientific Workgroup), Dessie Farrell (CEO, Gaelic Players Association). Secretary : Peter Horgan (GAA Education Officer)