Offaly GAA gives big thumbs down to review of Parish Rule

THE Offaly GAA County Board has given an emphatic thumbs down to a review of one of the county's longest standing laws, the Parish Rule after chairman Michael Duognan said that the Management Committee were opposed to it.

Delegates voted 39-10 against any review of the rule at a County Board meeting in O'Connor Park on Tuesday night.

Kinnitty GAA chairman Ger Coughlan had formally proposed a review of the rule, with an independent chairperson, with Tullamore's Paul Dillane seconding.

The Parish Rule means that a player must play with a club in the parish that he either resides in or was born in.

It has been in the news lately with both Kinnitty and Tullamore trying to secure the services of players from outside their parish boundaries. Three young players in the Drumcullen area were suspended in the past year for playing illegally with Kinnitty-Lusmagh along with the chairman and secretary of the Kinnitty-Lusmagh underage amalgamation.

Last year, Tullamore were told that they can't play young players living in the Cappincur area. Tullamore put forward a motion to Convention last December, seeking the addition of a parentage rule which would have allowed children to play with a club where their parents had an active involvement. Tullamore carried out a considerable canvass of clubs seeking support of their motion but withdrew it as it became clear it did not have sufficient support to pass.

While a club can propose a similar motion to Convention next year, it looks like there is not much of a mood for change.

Offaly hurling folk hero, Ger Couglan stated that people were aware of the suspensions of young players. He insisted that “nearly every club in Offaly is illegal” and breaching the parish rule. Mr Coughlan stated that he had been told by three clubs that they had a combined total of over twenty illegal players.

He said they wanted a review of the rule where a committee would look at it and see if they would continue with it or look at ways to “improve it and keep our young players playing the game”. Mr Coughlan stated there are lots of situations around the country they could look at and the “possibilities that we might tweak it and make it work”.

After no other delegate spoke, chairman Michael Duignan said they had discussed the Kinnitty proposal at a Management Committee meeting where they were not in favour of a review. “We feel the Parish Rule has served the county well, albeit it is not perfect and there have been breaches of it over the years which were highlighted at a previous meeting. We feel a lot of these were dealt with locally and this rule has been in existence since 1909.”

Mr Duignan said that there is a mechanism in place for a club last year. He pointed out that Offaly GAA secretary and assistant secretary, Colm Cummins and Christy Todd had helped Tullamore with their motion last year to make sure it was in order. “If such a motion is brought to Convention and clubs vote for it, that is fine but we feel that is the mechanism that is there,” added Mr Duignan.