RTE has been awarded the domestic broadcast rights for all GAA matches over the next three years. At the end of exhaustive negotiations, the deal was concluded just hours before this year's GAA annual congress began at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.

"I think it's the first time we went through a tender process and put together packages and invited people to tender for individual packages as well as the overall rights," said Dermot Power, the GAA's Marketing Manager who was involved in the negotiations, when asked about the unprecedented delay in concluding negotiations.

This means that coverage of the games can go ahead. Last weekend on the resumption of inter-county competition after the suspension of games because of the foot-and-mouth crisis, RTE declined to televise matches as the new contract had not been agreed.

Yesterday evening a spokesperson for RTE said: "RTE and its subsidiary TG4 are delighted that the GAA has agreed terms for exclusive rights to GAA activity over the next three years on television and on radio.

"This means that despite the marketing of the rights as packages on the advice of media consultants Oliver and Ohlbaum, all the domestic rights have been once more awarded to RTE, which has held them since its foundation nearly 40 years ago."

On the floor of congress there was criticism from Tyrone of the International Rules series with Australia, particularly the under-17 series which, it was alleged, provide a shop window for the Australian Rules. GAA president Sean McCague stated that the association had had nothing to do with trial matches organised for underage players in Ireland.

Later last night, motion 10 on the clar was taken and passed. It provides for Central Council to take whatever steps are necessary to complete its games programme for 2001. This is a reference to the foot-and-mouth outbreak and the provision simply means that Central Council can amend and reorganise the championships as necessitated by circumstances. Principally it means that, if necessary, the new structures for the football championships can be shelved in an emergency.

The Central Council meeting held yesterday evening heard that a deal for the sale of surplus tickets had been agreed between Central Council, the Leinster Council and Ticketmaster, the ticket retailers. On-line sales' rights have been awarded to the association's own website gaa.ie.

Earlier yesterday, it was announced that the unofficial Gaelic Players' Association had met for the first time with the official GAA Players' Committee this week. The meeting had been on the agenda for a while but the timing was unexpected.

A GAA statement said: "The GAA Players' Committee and the GPA held their inaugural meeting on April 4th. The meeting was conducted in a friendly and constructive manner.

"They jointly discussed (a) the relationship between their respective groups and the future development of this relationship and (b) issues related to general players' welfare - mileage, expenses and employment problems.