Sport

RUC ban will go says Kelly

The GAA will rescind Rule 21 at the "appropriate time" according to Sean Kelly, the outgoing chairman of the Kerry County Board…

Tue Jan 20 1998 - 00:00

The GAA will rescind Rule 21 at the "appropriate time" according to Sean Kelly, the outgoing chairman of the Kerry County Board. Rule 21 bans members of the British Army and the RUC from participating in Gaelic games.

Kelly said the GAA in principle was in favour of removing Rule 21, but that circumstances in the North have not, up to now, been conducive. Responding to a motion tabled by the Waterville club at last Sunday's Kerry convention calling for the rule to be removed, Kelly said that the GAA should be afforded the appropriate time to act.

He said: "This motion is still very active at national level and it is generally agreed that this rule should no longer be included. But circumstances have not been conducive up until now and in time Congress will hold a national convention to make the announcement. "Action and discussions are taking place at the highest levels in the GAA and the general consensus is that we want the rule withdrawn nice and quietly." he added.

The spokesperson for the Waterville club, Sean O hArgain, said that delegates had the democratic right to debate the issue. It was not good enough for the chairman to "bulldoze" the motion out of the way without giving a technical reason in the rule book for the decision, he said.

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Meanwhile, Cavan have just two players in the Ulster team to face Connacht in the interprovincial championship semi-finals at Roscommon on Sunday.

Allstar Dermot McCabe has been selected at midfield with Peter Reilly named at right half forward in a side that has seven newcomers at this level. McCabe, Reilly, former Allstar Gary Coleman, Kieran McGeeney, Jarlath Burns, Paul McGrane and Raymond Gallagher are the new men blended in with experienced players.

Included among the substitutes are Paul Brewster (Fermanagh) and Anthony Tohill (Derry). Both have been regulars in midfield with Ulster for the past number of years but Tohill is only recently back from his honeymoon while Brewster has returned from a holiday in Australia.

Injured and unavailable for selection are the Derry trio of Kieran McKeever, Joe Brolly and Seamus Downey as well as Down's Conor Deegan and Brian Burns.