Wicklow GAA have agreed to put forward a proposal to open Croke Park to other sports to next year's annual congress.

The county submitted a similar proposal last year, but it was - along with similar suggestions from other counties - ruled out of order.

At Saturday's county convention, Wicklow approved a motion that is more limited in its objective by a another huge majority of the almost 130 delegates on a show of hands.

This time Wicklow are merely seeking to give power to the Ard Comhairle to consider any request - on a match-by-match basis - for other games to be played at Croke Park during the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road.

Arklow Geraldines/Ballymoney Club put forward a motion seeking to have Rule 42 set aside to allow the opening of Croke Park to other sports during the development of Croke Park, but Séamus Kelly from Baltinglass moved an amendment to that and the amended motion was passed.

Kelly said he had one problem with the Arklow motion - his concern being that, in setting aside Rule 42, provincial, county and club grounds would also be vulnerable because of what would be happening in Croke Park.

The final part of his amended motion said that when Lansdowne Road would be reopened again, Rule 42 would revert to its original format. Kelly's amended motion was carried by a large majority of the delegates on a show of hands.

Stratford's Fergus Moore, in seconding the Arklow motion, said he believed the time had come to make the best use of Croke Park.

However, several delegates spoke against the motion, including Jackie Napier from Bray. "We are in competition with soccer and rugby for the hearts and minds of young people," Napier said. "Would you see a shopkeeper letting his shop window be used by a competitor to display his goods when the competitors was making no effort to get a shop window of his own?"