CONTROVERSY is developing within the GAA over allegations that third level scholarships are being used as inducements by some colleges to poach players from their clubs. The Comhairle Ard Oideachais (CAO), which controls Gaelic games at higher level, is to consult with the four provincial councils and the Games Development Committee to devise a strategy for dealing with the issue.

Complaints were raised at last weekend's Dublin convention by two clubs, Ballyboden St Enda's and St Brigid's, both of whom also wrote to the CAO. Their concern is with the awarding of University College, Dublin, scholarships to David Stynes (brother of Dublin's All Ireland medallist Brian) from Ballyboden and Peadar Lamb from Brigid's. There was a call at its weekend convention for "the Dublin county board to make a stand on this".

The terms of the scholarship oblige the players to commit themselves to playing with the college in the Dublin championship - which bars them from playing for their clubs in the same competition. The complaints referred to the fact that UCD were aiming to compete in the Dublin championship against clubs whose players they have admitted on scholarship.

There are only two counties affected by this rule because there are only three college teams graded senior: UCD, Trinity College, Dublin, and University College, Cork. In effect, Dublin is the only relevant county because UCC has an unwritten policy of not accepting scholarship applications from Cork students - on the basis that they generally won't consent to commit themselves to playing for the college in the championship and that UCC don't want to create conflict by forcing players to choose.

Players from other counties are allowed to play for both their college and their home club. For UCC and Kerry was able to play senior championship - in both counties, for UCC and East Kerry respectively. In addition, players from Cork and Dublin are allowed to compete in their own county championships at the non senior grades.

In one important respect, however, UCC's scholarships differ from UCD's. The former are financed by the Munster council of the GAA, whereas the latter are paid for with money raised by graduates of UCD, either through subscription or sponsorship. Consequently, the GAA has no direct control over the UCD scholarships.

Whereas the GAA has been generally supportive of scholarships such as UCD's, there are fears that sizeable maintenance grants, reputedly creeping into vogue elsewhere, may cross the line be tween scholarships and straightforward inducements.

Pat Daly, the GAA's games development officer, says that the association has yet to adopt a definite policy. "We set out a list of draft guidelines. At what stage does a scholarship become an inducement? Basically, we like the recipients to have a commitment to the college club, and believe in them providing an input in administration or coaching."

Eugene McGee, the former Ireland coach and All Ireland winning Offaly manager, took UCD to two county championships and two All Ireland club championships in the 1970s. He is involved with the graduates' scholarship scheme and vigorously defends it.

"UCD doesn't approach any player. There's a list of applicants the length of your arm. The only condition - and it's a condition of sports scholarships the world over - is that you must sign up exclusively for the club. This means being available for the county championship. For some reason the college authorities now want to do well in Dublin. When the team was doing well (20 years ago), the college hardly knew they existed.

"We circulate details of the scholarships to schools and if anyone wants to apply, they can. Anyway, it's impossible to guarantee places for applicants, because they must have the relevant points requirement for the course they want to study. And it's almost always true that those on scholarships definitely get better. The clubs get them back in a couple of years as better players.

. Fears are gathering in Limerick that the special football committee aimed at giving a new image to the game in the county, and which was endorsed at last month's convention, might become a non starter.

Six clubs succeeded in their motion that a separate committee be set up to promote football in the county. Their argument was that the emphasis in the county was very much on hurling.

But Croke Park have since questioned its validity and want further details of what is planned. The county board have set a date for a full meeting to enable the steering committee to provide a full insight into what they have in mind.

. Tyrone supporters spent £310,000 on tickets for championship matches over the summer, to the county secretary, Dominic McCaughey, in his a report to this weekend's county convention.