Saturday's national coaching forum featured the unveiling of the GAA's CD-rom coaching manual. The new project has already attracted favourable attention at a virtual education conference in Sweden.

"We have attempted to have regard to e-learning and interactive technology," said Pat Daly, the GAA's games manager. "Tony Weir, who's head of the Virtual School (national e-learning resource), was going to a conference in Stockholm and was interested in insights into how people use technology. He contacted various sports organisations and got stuff from ourselves and sailing.

"The Scandinavians were very intrigued by what we did because it's a model for other sports. The model is key. We show where various elements fit in. It takes the diffuseness out of coaching. We have produced quality manuals, but interactive and e-learning is the future."

Football and hurling have had to be treated separately because of the capacity limitations on CD. In the future, as DVD technology takes over, both games will be put on the one disc.

"We are trying to counter the over-emphasis on physical preparation," Daly said. "It's a matter of keeping the balance right. On disc you see the animation of the various correct techniques and you can go through it sequentially. It is possible to click on the appropriate level. In essence, this is broken down into playing, moving and the recreation of decision-making in game situations.

"Mickey Moran (former Derry, Sligo and Ireland coach) devised the advanced drills. Because of the speed at which they take place, we had to use video and that takes up a lot of disc space. So hurling and football have to be split."

Given the universal application of the coaching model, the GAA hopes to receive funding from the EU Minerva programme. The CD-rom will be formally released in January.