WESTMEATH: The disciplinary rules of the GAA need to become "more player-friendly", according to one of the country's longest-serving county board chairmen.
Westmeath's Séamus Whelan also called on the GAA to immediately drop the rule saying that "there shall be no appeal to any Court of Law".
Speaking at the county's GAA convention, Whelan called for a "root and branch" review of disciplinary laws "by GAA-minded legal personnel" after what he described as an "annus horribilis" for the county on the rules front.
He talked of how investigations into how two Westmeath players received broken jaws in intercounty challenge games - Kenny Larkin and Finian Newman - led to just one player serving a one-month suspension.
He was also critical of the manner in which Westmeath midfielder Rory O'Connell had to take High Court action to be eligible to play in the footballer's historic Leinster final triumph after being suspended over an alleged stamping incident against Offaly in an earlier round.
"Our GAA disciplinary laws in some instances are too black and white and are not as player-friendly as they should be. They are in need of 'root and branch' treatment by GAA-minded legal personnel in the overall interest of proper and fair discipline implementation," he said.
"Reality demands that as a matter of urgency, and of an individual's natural justice rights, that Rule 151, which says there should be no appeal to any Court of Law, should be removed immediately."
GALWAY: Residents in Salthill are likely to mount renewed opposition to rock concerts being held at Pearse Stadium in Galway city after it emerged the GAA will likely stage more gigs in 2005 to tackle a €4 million debt on the redeveloped venue.
Some residents groups in the seaside resort were opposed to the stadium's redevelopment, but the €2 million revamp was completed in 2002.
But now there is growing concern that the stadium could face serious financial problems because of a lack of high-profile fixtures.
It has emerged that non-GAA activity has accounted for almost half of the income received during the year, and that Pearse Stadium would be in more serious financial difficulties were it not for a Bob Dylan concert during the summer which raised €121,000 of the €267,000 accumulated in 2004. The venue made a loss of over €54,000 with bank interest and charges costing over €141,000.
Now, as the GAA continue to bypass the venue - no inter-county championship games were played there wasn't are in 2004 - the Pearse Stadium Development Committee may have to stage more concerts at Salthill stadium to clear the debt.
The prospect for big games to be played in 2005 is not great. Galway footballers open their championship campaign in New York and will then be away to either Sligo or Leitrim in the Connacht semi-final. The venue for the Connacht final will be decided by whatever ongoing arrangement exists between the participants, with McHale Park in Castlebar and Hyde Park in Roscommon also capable of holding large crowds.
The new hurling championship format will mean more games for Galway but sell-out crowds - providing a badly needed financial windfall - will be dependant on the profile of the opposition.
KERRY: Declan O'Sullivan celebrated his 21st birthday in style on Saturday when he produced a man-of-the-match display for Dromid Pearses, under All-Ireland winning manager Jack O'Connor, as they prevented St Mary's from completing four South Kerry Championship titles in a row, and he was confirmed as next year's Kerry football captain.
O'Sullivan was inspirational as Pearses lifted their first South Kerry Championship crown in dreadful conditions at Waterville when they fought back from a 0-6 to 0-2 interval deficit to dominate the second half and win 0-9 to 0-7 in a thrilling finish.
Later that evening, O'Connor and O'Sullivan celebrated with the Kerry squad at their victory banquet in the INEC centre Killarney when Seán Kelly became the first Kerry man to present All-Ireland medals to champions from his county.
O'Connor confirmed that O'Sullivan would succeed Dara Ó Cinnéide as Kerry skipper. After praising last year's captain and Séamus Moynihan - "one of the greatest of all time" - he thanked John Crowley for his dedication over the past 10 years and for fighting to make the starting 15 in the All-Ireland final.
This further fuelled speculation that Crowley has called it a day at county level.
