The Kerry county board will be asked to support the removal of Rule 21 when it meets for its annual convention in Killarney on Sunday. This is the controversial rule which prohibits members of the RUC and the British security forces becoming members of the GAA. The proposal to remove the present rule has been tabled by An Coireann club from the Waterville area. It is not, however, being proposed as a motion but merely as a request to the annual Congress of the GAA. Its chances of being passed seem slim but the supporters of the motion are hoping to open up a debate which might contribute to the peace process.
The item on the agenda for the convention reads: "That the Kerry county board ask Congress to rescind Rule 21".
County secretary Tony O'Keeffe reveals that 1997 was a good year for Kerry financially which is not surprising given that they won the GAA's two big competitions, the National League and championship.
These events are reflected in gate receipts for the top club championship games. The match between Austin Stacks and Kerin O'Rahilly's attracted a gate of £11,754, that between Laune Rangers and West Kerry £26,925 and the final clash between East Kerry and Laune Rangers and the replay realised income of £52,932. The county hurling final between Ballyheigue and Causeway attracted a gate of £12,136.
The report of the board's accountants show that income amounted to £1,208,169 and expenditure totalled £1,032,333, giving a surplus of £175,836, an improvement of about £78,000 on the previous year. Team expenses rose by more than £13,000.
Under the heading of team expenses the financial report reveals that the trip to New York for the National League match against Cavan cost £9,532, the trip to the Canaries £11,892, and for a holiday this year a sum of £72,092 has been set aside.
The entire financial affairs of the county are outlined and show gate receipts at underage matches as low as £10 for a junior hurling match between Abbeydorney and Crotta.
Kerry will be getting a new chairman on Sunday. Sean Kelly is stepping down after an 11-year stint. There will be three candidates for the position - Sean Walsh from Moyvane, Dave Geaney from Desmond's and Liam Cotter from Churchill. The vastly experienced Geaney would appear to be a strong favourite.
Meanwhile, the experiment with two referees has been harshly criticised by Michael O'Meara, the secretary of the South Tipperary board, who claims that the GAA hierarchy who approved it are out of touch with the grassroots of the association.
In his report to the board's convention in Clonmel on Sunday O'Meara says there is already a shortage of referees and that new ones are urgently needed in the division. O'Meara says that it takes seven officials to supervise a game at present and he believes that should be more than sufficient.
He is also critical of TnaG and asks if it has been successful in promoting the Irish language, their games or their culture, or if it is merely another Sky-type channel, doling out the same old foreign rubbish to a sometimes Irish tune.
