The Dublin County Board are considering the promotion of anti-racism education as part of their games development programmes.

Allegations of racist taunting arose from a recent club hurling match in Cork, and Dublin county secretary John Costello will refer to the problem in his annual report at Monday's county convention.

Commenting on what lay behind these references, Costello said: "There have been incidents at juvenile level brought to my attention. There hasn't been anything at an official level because those affected haven't wanted to make a fuss about it.

"But these things have happened and it's going to creep in more and more. The only way to deal with this is quickly and firmly, which will happen with the first case that we receive."

Nonetheless, Costello believes work on confronting the problem has to begin at an earlier stage than cracking down on offences after they have occurred.

"We can start with the Games Promotion Officers, whose training involves preparing educational programmes on things like drugs. Promoting anti-racism can be part of that process."

In his report, Costello has this to say: "Sadly, indiscipline is also prevalent in our juvenile games, including cases of racial abuse. Clubs have not only an obligation but a duty to do their utmost to ensure that racist behaviour will not be tolerated and must be addressed. The Dublin County Board is totally committed to the eradication of racism within our jurisdiction."

Another difficulty with wider implications facing Dublin is how to reconcile the promotion of hurling with dual status players. Diarmuid Healy, Dublin's new director of hurling, has emphasised the need for a "hurling only" culture in the county - a reference to the need for hurlers to concentrate on their game to the exclusion of football.

Costello says the county board are compromised in that regard by the obligation to administer impartially all games in the GAA remit.

"We have to promote both and can't discriminate against one. Our task is to provide opportunities to play for all children. You can't dictate to kids what sport they play. It's a dilemma for the association as a whole."

Yet he does believe the future of hurling may need undertakings from children at the end of the juvenile cycle that they will concentrate on one code when being invited to participate in elite training schemes.

"We're going to have to get kids in development squads to concentrate on the code in question. It's self-defeating to spend four years of spending time and energy on development work when large numbers of the players drift off to play football. And you can understand the temptation for anyone who's a talented footballer to switch to the game when he perceives a greater chance of success."

Another aspect of the dilemma is that the need to combine both codes in the one master fixtures list is putting pressure on the GAA in respect of other competing sports, such as soccer.

"There's not so much a problem for the dual player, but if someone wants to play only football or hurling there's a big problem. For instance, if you want to play hurling with Cuala (in Dalkey) but not football, you play one week, then the next week's fixtures are football. In one month you could play two matches, whereas someone playing soccer could get five games with St Joseph's, Sallynoggin."

For Dublin, dealing with the issue is complicated by the lack of territory when it comes to the boundaries between the codes. Unlike in other dual counties there is no geographical divide between areas that play hurling and football.

"That's another difficulty. Take Beara in Cork; it's a small division but in general it doesn't play hurling. The hurling area in Offaly is a distinct part of the county. We can't plan on the basis of those sort of boundaries."

Costello is confident that another long-running saga might prove less intractable. The conclusion of negotiations between the Strategic Review Committee and Dublin and the Leinster Council in relation to funding for development projects in the county is expected to be put to the clubs in the New Year. The biggest challenge is to get the clubs to buy into it," he says.

In Kerry, in his address to the annual convention, county chairman Seán Walsh has called on the GAA to learn from the International Rules series and look at the playing rules of football.

"Cumann Lúthchleas Gael has been involved in the compromise rules series. This has proved both enjoyable and competitive and gives our top players an international outlet. It is to this game that we should look for changes to our own game and to experiment with some of the disciplines that our players have been playing with in the compromise rules.

"The mark, the tackle and the direct pick-up are three areas in particular from the Australian game that should be looked at. The Games Development section in Croke Park should embark on a process of dialogue with players that have played in the compromise rules series and ascertain from them if any of the compromise disciplines are worth experimenting with.

"If we can commit ourselves to the process of the compromise rules for another 10 years, then we should at least look at what is good in their game."

Walsh also spoke out against the public reaction to the county's All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Tyrone and "the ridicule that was heaped on Tyrone for the defeat of Kerry and the manner in which that defeat was carried out was neither fair nor deserved by the Tyrone team and management.

"Hunger, determination, will to win, and meticulous planning should not be criticised but admired. Performances like this will only be equalled or beaten when matched with the same fervour and tenacity.

"On behalf of everybody in Kerry, I warmly congratulate Tyrone on winning their first All-Ireland title; they are worthy All-Ireland champions."

Walsh made no reference to the controversial departure of former manager Páidí Ó Sé, but thanked him for "his work while manager of the county team" and wished him luck with Westmeath.