GAELIC GAMES: As the future of the GAA's Strategic Review Committee report takes shape, there are indications that the contentious proposal to split Dublin in two will be dropped.

The SRC report was published last January and the suggested division of Dublin into units north and south of the Liffey triggered immediate controversy.

Committee member Christy Cooney, chairman of the Munster Council, also chaired the SRC sub-committee on Dublin. Yesterday, he said that a delegation from this sub-committee has been involved in intensive talks with representatives of the Dublin County Board.

"We've been meeting Dublin over the past two or three weeks with a view to finding a solution that's in the best interests of both the GAA and Dublin. We're trying to come to a satisfactory conclusion - I don't want to call it a compromise, but we hope to reach agreement."

It is believed that the likely accommodation will involve the appointment of a committee to oversee a radical overhaul of GAA activities in Dublin.

This is partly based on the SRC's own proposed "transitional committee", which was intended to oversee the splitting of the county into two administrative units.

The composition of the new committee has yet to be agreed, but if it follows the original SRC proposal it is likely to have majority representation from Dublin plus representatives from Leinster Council and Central Council with an independent chairman.

Dublin's argument since the report emerged nine months ago has been that the problems in the county require capital investment and that approach is endorsed by the SRC estimate that €4.5 million would be needed "to achieve the objectives" of the transitional committee and new structures.

It remains to be seen whether the GAA will continue to hold this view of the required financing if the division of the county administration doesn't take place, but the problems in the capital will remain regardless of the structures implemented to tackle them.

This summer demonstrated again the importance to the GAA of a successful Dublin. Five of the six highest attendances at Croke Park during the football championship involved Dublin, including four of the five capacity crowds in the redeveloped stadium.

Otherwise, it is hoped that the whole thrust of the SRC report can at least be debated at the special congress to take place on the Friday and Saturday of the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of this month.

Motions are currently being submitted by counties on the subject matter of the report.

When they have all been received, the SRC can review what topics have been addressed and ask Central Council to submit motions on any outstanding matters.

The only recommendation to be held over concerns the use of Croke Park for other sports.

SRC had recommended that control of this sensitive issue be devolved to Central Council. But given the failure of a similar proposal to gain acceptance at the past two congresses, it was decided not to re-introduce the motion this month.

"That was one consideration," according to Cooney, "but it was also agreed in April that we would want time to monitor the impact of matches on the new surface at Croke Park".

This month's special congress will feature a 50-minute presentation by the SRC chairman Peter Quinn and two days of discussing the motions on the clár.

"We're hopeful that all matters will receive a hearing," says Cooney. "It's important that they are discussed. The committee has been an excellent initiative by the uachtarán Seán McCague.

"We consistently need to look at the association and its direction. Review is needed on an ongoing basis, not just every 30 years."

The SRC had originally hoped that the report would have been debated at a special congress in June, but Central Council voted to defer consideration of its proposals until the autumn to give counties more time to absorb the report.

Cooney accepts that some counties may come up with improved ideas based on SRC proposals. Some counties have received presentations from the SRC, outlining the thinking behind the report.

The clár for the special congress is expected to be released within the next week to 10 days.