Gaelic Athletic Association Congress
Encyclopedia
GAA Congress is an annual gathering of the Gaelic Athletic Association
in which changes to the rule book, the Official Guide, may be undertaken, where the year is reviewed, and a new President of the association formally takes office. It is a democratic meeting in which delegates from GAA county boards
and provincial council
s have speaking and voting rights.
GAA Congress can attract a lot of public attention depending on what issues are being voted upon. For example, the 2001 Congress was watched closely when it voted to overturn Rule 21
, the ban on members of the British security forces from GAA membership . 2005 Congress attracted a lot of attention when it made an historic vote to relax Rule 42
, allowing Croke Park
to be used by Rugby
and Soccer authorities during the reconstruction of the Lansdowne Road stadium
.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
in which changes to the rule book, the Official Guide, may be undertaken, where the year is reviewed, and a new President of the association formally takes office. It is a democratic meeting in which delegates from GAA county boards
GAA county
A Gaelic Athletic Association county is a geographic region within the Gaelic Athletic Association , controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have...
and provincial council
Provincial council
Provincial councils are organisational bodies within the Gaelic Athletic Association, each made up of several GAA counties. The provincial council is responsible for the organisation of club and inter-county competitions such as the provincial championships, and the promotion of Gaelic games within...
s have speaking and voting rights.
GAA Congress can attract a lot of public attention depending on what issues are being voted upon. For example, the 2001 Congress was watched closely when it voted to overturn Rule 21
Rule 21
Rule 21 of the Gaelic Athletic Association banned members of the British occupational forces and the former Royal Ulster Constabulary from participating in Gaelic games....
, the ban on members of the British security forces from GAA membership . 2005 Congress attracted a lot of attention when it made an historic vote to relax Rule 42
Rule 42
Rule 42 is a rule of the Gaelic Athletic Association which in practice prohibits the playing of non-Gaelic games in GAA stadiums. The rule is often mistakenly believed to prohibit foreign sports at GAA owned stadiums...
, allowing Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
to be used by Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and Soccer authorities during the reconstruction of the Lansdowne Road stadium
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
.