Limerick vote for change

Limerick have helped keep the Rule 42 debate alive by last night unanimously voting to support the motions which call for Croke Park to be opened to other sports on a temporary basis - a complete reversal of their previous stance. Yet just three days before Congress there is still considerable uncertainty surrounding the issue, including how and what motions will be addressed as well as the exact method of counting.GAAFixtures

As the few remaining counties finalise their position it is also increasingly evident that only extensive support from the overseas units would swing the vote towards allowing soccer and rugby to be played in Croke Park while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped.

Cork officials also met last night to finalise their vote but declined to make any official announcement ahead of Congress, leaving the expectation that they'll remain committed to retaining Rule 42. The Limerick vote, which hugely favoured the opening of Croke Park, was therefore crucial to the survival of any chances for change.

Other mandates decided this week have continued along expected lines. Louth, Leitrim, Kilkenny and Kerry have added their weight to the push for change, while Antrim are standing by Ulster's defence of the status quo. Mayo have opted to allow their delegates make the call at Congress, while elsewhere, London kept the overseas hope alive by agreeing to support the motions for change.

Armagh and Westmeath will this evening complete the pre-Congress mandating and are expected to vote to retain and to amend respectively.

In the meantime the seven counties that were successful in getting Rule 42 motions onto the Congress floor will wait until the 11th hour before finalising how the motions would be best addressed. Four of the seven - Roscommon, Sligo, Clare and Wicklow - are calling for the temporary rule amendment while Lansdowne Road is redeveloped, and it is expected the other three which call for permanent change - Kerry, Cavan and Longford - will row in behind them.

Roscommon's Tommy Kenoy explained their plan of attack: "Our discussions have been ongoing by email and telephone, but we'll decide on the Friday evening exactly what to. There's a tea break scheduled for between 6.0 and 7.30, and we will use that time to agree on the best formula.

"Obviously most of the counties voting for change only want temporary change, and it's most probable that the permanent motions won't be changed, and will be dropped. As things stand the Sligo motion is the first to be presented and it may be that we all row in behind that."

Kerry, for example, have already indicated that if there was a groundswell of opinion for a certain motion then they would support it.

Most of the final tally predictions are still hinting towards a close vote, but to narrowly retain Rule 42. If all 336 delegates that are entitled to vote show up on the day then a minimum of 224 must vote for change if the necessary two-thirds majority is to be reached. Even by Kenoy's own calculations that will be hard to get. "The London vote offers us some hope," he added, "Because that was one of the areas we were worried about, so we're delighted with that. And from my information the Australian vote will also be for support. The North America board is conducting their voting by email because of the large area, but the signs there are very positive.

"So it's still going to be very close to getting the two-thirds majority, but it definitely looks like the overseas vote is going to be the deciding factor."

Should Armagh go against the expectations this evening and offer their support then the motions could still survive some slippage in overseas support. Although several past and present Armagh players like Enda McNulty, Ger Houlihan and Jarlath Burns have come out to support the motions, the mood, according to Patrick Nugent, is still typically cautious.

"Some of the Armagh clubs have taken a vote, but not all of them," explained Nugent. "Essentially we will be deciding what the mandate will be, but right now we've no idea. And we won't be releasing the result. It might get out, but we won't be making any public announcement."

What is certain is that the seven counties presenting the motions will all be calling for an open ballot, which remains at the discretion of the Congress delegates.

"Management Committee and Central Council want a secret ballot," said Kenoy, "but every one of the counties presenting the motions want an open ballot. So that will be opposed by the floor.

"We'll also be looking to have more scientific manner than say 2001, when people just held up cards, and the provincial council chairmen went around and counted the raised hands."TODAY

Munster Under-21 football final: Limerick v Cork, Gaelic Grounds, 7.0, P Sheehy (Kerry).

SATURDAY

Leinster Under-21 football final: Dublin v Kildare, Pairc Tailteann, 6.30, P Fox (Westmeath).

Leinster MHC: Meath v Kildare, Pairc Tailteann, 3.0, M Butler (Dublin); Offaly v Dublin, Birr, 3.0, R Houlihan (Kildare); Wexford v Laois, Wexford, 3.0, D Connolly (Kilkenny).

SUNDAY

National Football League - Semi-finals: (Extra-time if necessary)

Division One: Tyrone v Wexford, Portlaoise, 2.0, J Geaney (Cork); Armagh v Mayo, Hyde Park, 3.45, M Deegan (Laois).

Division Two: Derry v Monaghan, Clones, 2.0, M Hughes (Tyrone); Meath v Fermanagh, Clones, 3.45, M Duffy (Sligo).

National Hurling League: Second Phase - Round Two (All games 3.30 unless stated)

Division One: Galway v Tipperary, Pearse Stadium, D Murphy (Wexford); Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, S Roche (Tipperary); Kilkenny v Wexford, Nowlan Park, 6.15, B Kelly (Westmeath); Relegation section: Laois v Down, Portlaoise, 12.15, J Guinan (Kilkenny); Dublin v Limerick, Parnell Park, 2.0, T McIntyre (Antrim); Waterford v Antrim, Walsh Park, S McMahon (Clare).

Division Two: Derry v Carlow, Lavey, 2.30, J A Gribben (Down); Offaly v Kerry, Birr, D Connolly (Kilkenny); Westmeath v Meath, Cusack Park, N Cosgrove, Tipperary; Relegation section: Roscommon v Sligo, Athleague, P Greene (Galway); Kildare v Wicklow, Leixlip, A Stapleton (Laois).

Division Three: Mayo v Monaghan, Castlebar, T Holian (Galway); Armagh v Tyrone, Killeavey, G Robinson (Antrim); Donegal v Louth, Letterkenny, T Mahon (Fermanagh); Shield section: Longford v Cavan, Michael Fay Park, J O'Rourke (Monaghan); Leitrim v Fermanagh, Carrick-on-Shannon, L Gordon (Galway);

Women's Football League Final: Galway v Cork, Hyde Park, Roscommon, 3.30.