The conversion of the Cork County Board to the pro-abolitionist camp ahead of this weekend's special congress would seem to signal the death knell for Rule 21.

The influential Cork delegates were among the few southern members to speak out against repeal of the rule when the issue was last raised in 1998. Although the result of Tuesday evening's meeting, held in camera, has not been formally announced following instruction from Central Council, it is understood that the Cork delegates will adhere to president Seβn McCague's wish that the rule be removed.

"Unfortunately, we are not at liberty to reveal the result of the vote. The request from Croke Park was fairly explicit and we are going to adhere to it," said county PRO Pat Horgan yesterday.

However, there was a uniformity of public opinion around Cork city that the board had reversed its earlier stance.

With those Ulster delegates who support Rule 21 becoming increasingly isolated as the returns from the majority of counties indicated comprehensive support for its deletion, their hope was that the Cork board members might use their vote in support of the nationalist Ulster position.

Cork's reversal in opinion renders it impossible for the motion for reform to fail.

Clare also decided their position on Tuesday evening and while that board has also declined to make public its voting pattern, authoritative sources have indicated that the Clare delegates will fall into line with the majority of their southern colleagues.

The latest results further isolate the Ulster counties which returned early decisions to vote against the repeal of Rule 21, which prevents members of the British Army or of Northern Ireland's security forces from becoming members of the GAA.

McCague's announcement late last month that the issue would be the subject of a special congress was greeted with surprise in most quarters and outright dismay in sectors of Ulster. Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh quickly voted to instruct delegates to retain Rule 21.

But, crucially, during the unsuccesful attempt to delete Rule 21 in 1998, all the Ulster counties voted to stand in solidarity. With the political environment having changed considerably even since then, the southern Ulster counties are now mirroring the GAA president's call for an end to the exclusionist policy.

Donegal, Cavan and McCague's home county of Monaghan have each instructed delegates to vote for an end to the rule.

With over 100 delegates required to vote conservatively for Rule 21 to survive, it appears highly likely that the vote will be carried. Limerick and Cork are counties which carry substantial delegate votes.

Almost all the counties have returned their votes, with the Carlow board due to convene to discuss the matter this evening. A number of counties, including Galway and Laois, declined to raise the issue at county board level on the grounds that their viewpoints had not changed since 1998, when they supported the move to end the rule.

Meanwhile, former Dublin selector and goalkeeper John O'Leary will take sole charge of Wicklow for his inaugural match as manager of the county. O'Leary, who served as a selector with Dublin under Tommy Carr, will sit down with members of the Wicklow board next week with a view to discussing potential selectors.

The 1995 All-Ireland-winning captain was approached to manage Wicklow after Tommy Lyons was appointed as the new Dublin manager.

O'Leary's position was unanimously ratified on Monday evening, when he officially replaced Moses Coffey. His connections with the county are strong; his mother is from Wicklow and his father played inter-county football there.

He took charge of his first session on Tuesday evening and confirmed that Richie Crean, who was also involved with Dublin, will be working with him on squad training sessions. Wicklow take on Kildare at Aughrim on Sunday in the O'Byrne Cup.

Toomevara's injury concerns have deepened ahead of Sunday's Munster club hurling semi-final against Ballygunner. Centre back Tony Delaney is almost certain to miss the match after it was confirmed that the injury he received in the Tipperary county final last Sunday was to his hamstring.

Delaney will undergo a fitness test before the game but looks consigned to join county star Paddy O'Brien, a long-term injury casualty, in the stands.

AIB has committed to sponsoring the club championships for the next five years, with an outlay of £5 million, and confirmed that TG4 will carry 11 of the games live next year.

At yesterday's launch, Seβn McCague observed that "from tentative beginnings, the club championships are now central to the GAA's calendar of events, commanding large attendances and huge media focus".

A special presentation was made to four families to honour their contributions to the club championships - the Fennellys of Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny), the McConvillies of Crossmaglen Rangers, the Whelahans of Birr and the Cooneys of Sarsfields in Galway.

Limerick have rejected overtures from Tipperary to travel to Semple Stadium for the semi-finals of next season's Munster hurling championship, should such a game materialise. Tipperary will play Clare in the opening round with the winners taking on Limerick.

Tipperary wanted the new arrangement but delegates to the Limerick County Board opted instead to back Pβirc U∅ Chaoimh as the venue.