GAA Central Council to consider proposed adjustment to 50m advanced free
The new rule, and the severity of the punishment, has been criticised in recent weeks.
Cork manager John Cleary called on the regulation to be reviewed after his side were thrice penalised for interfering with the ball-winner, infractions that cost them six second-half points in their loss to Kerry.
The respective rule is that a player cannot be interfered with for four steps after claiming a kickout mark. If they are deliberately stopped or delayed during those four steps, the ball is brought forward 50 metres.
Kerry boss Jack O'Connor also hit out at the rule after his side's victory over the Rebels and in a statement released on Saturday afternoon, the GAA confirmed it will be reviewed amongst the announcement of other significant developments.
'Meetings of Coiste Bainistíochta and Ard Chomhairle took place this weekend,' it began.
'It was confirmed that there was a 24% increase in Allianz League gate receipts leading to an increased distribution to counties.
'Ard Chomhairle is to consider a proposed adjustment from the FRC to the penalty for a foul on a player who catches a mark from a kick out to be changed from a 50m advanced free to a free on the spot where the foul occurs.
'Eligibility for the All-Ireland JFC, relating specifically to London and New York, is to remain unchanged for the 2026 competition.
'The following were added to the DRA Panel; Rory Conway and Niall Gallagher (both Legal Panel) and Liam McCabe (Cavan) and Joe Edwards (Antrim) (GAA Panel).
'A proposal from Comhairle Ard Oideachais to rename the cup awarded to the winners of the JHC as the 'Corn Darragh Mhic Cárthaigh, in memory of MTU Cork student Darragh McCarthy was passed.
'It was agreed that county boards will supply smart sliotars for semi-finals and finals in all county junior, intermediate and senior championships.'
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Irish Examiner
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David Clifford at 26. It's an interesting time to take stock, at the halfway point of an extraordinary inter-county football career. It's eight years since Jack O'Shea, speaking after watching Clifford shoot 1-10 for the Kerry minors in the 2017 All-Ireland semi-final win over Cavan, said that the Fossa phenom was already equipped for senior duty. The Kerry seniors were preparing to play Mayo and O'Shea said he'd start Clifford if he could, 'without a doubt'. The rules prohibited it so a teenage Clifford stuck to minor duty and memorably hit Derry for 4-4 in that year's final. "I'm looking forward to watching him for the next 10 years," said O'Shea at the time. That decade has almost passed and Clifford last month claimed his second All-Ireland senior medal. He has seven Munster medals too, five All-Stars and will probably break new ground as the first three-time recipient of the Footballer of the Year award. 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For instance, he is asked if he'd fancy any new rules in Gaelic football. "I think we might be better off leaving them alone with all the changes over the last year," he deadpanned. He doesn't see much value in going deep into his apparent mentorship of the younger players in the Kerry panel either. "I don't think I said much to them, to be honest." Yet when Clifford felt a need mid-season to open up and encourage the supporters to get behind the team, he jumped on it. Ahead of the Armagh game, Clifford took the unusual step of publicly urging fans to turn out in big numbers at Croke Park. Did he feel the supporters weren't fully engaged? "Not really, there was a big crowd for the Meath game but we were brutal against Meath," he said. "As a team, we were miles off it. It would have been easy for people to stop coming after that game, that was the thing. It wasn't that they weren't behind us but it would have been easy to stop going to games after that because we were way off it. 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RTÉ News
an hour ago
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John McGrath: Second half of final beyond 'wildest dreams'
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RTÉ News
an hour ago
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Aoife Dalton proud of roots as Ireland prepare for world stage
Centre Aoife Dalton is about to move centre stage when Ireland make their first appearance at a World Cup in eight years and the Offaly native is thankful to those who helped her along the way. The Clara woman is 22 and has 24 caps. She was voted as player of the year last season. And as the team prepare to take on Japan on Sunday in their opening Rugby World Cup match, Dalton is sure there will be no shortage of well-wishers from those who helped her get where she is, especially her mother club, Tullamore RFC. The Midlands League club has a fine record in producing provincial and international players. Megan Burns, Nichola Fryday and Ailsa Hughes have come through the club, as well as Peter Bracken, Cormac Izuchukwu and Jordan Conroy. Asked about representing her club, town and county, alongside golfer Shane Lowry from Clara and motor-racer Alex Dunne from Clonbollogue, she breaks into a smile. "It's fantastic, it's like a little hidden gem, Offaly is," she says. "For Tullamore, with the catchment area they have and what's available to them, a few rural towns in Offaly and a bit of Laois, but what they've produced over the last couple of years is [amazing]. "They punch above their weight. "I'd say they were one of the first clubs to have a girls minis section set up. I'm so lucky that club supported me. "They got me involved in the first place. A match-day squad that I'm named in doesn't go by without hearing from one of them. "I owe a lot to them. "My mam and dad [too]. They've supported me the whole way. "I'm from a big GAA house so that was the sport I was going to have to play until I got offered a contract here. "They would do anything at the drop of a hat for me, bring me anywhere. I owe a lot to them and the support they give me." Dalton, who plays her club rugby with Old Belvedere and Leinster, made her debut against Japan on the 2022 tour and was named young player of the year in 2023. A stellar Six Nations campaign saw her named the senior player of the year by her peers in May. "I owe a lot to the coaches," she adds of her current form. "They've helped me find my strengths and build on that over the last year. "I was probably a bit raw coming in, I was only 19 and hadn't really a clue what I was doing. "It's the group around me as well. They give me so much confidence to go out and do that." For now the focus is on Sunday's opponents, who are ranked 11th in the world. "It's all Japan at the minute," says Dalton. "They have threats all over the pitch, their kicking game, they've a lot of variety. "They are very good at the breakdown, getting over balls and stuff like that so we'll have to make sure we are on our game in those areas." Watch the Women's Rugby World Cup with RTÉ Sport featuring 26 matches across RTÉ2, RTÉ Player and RTÉ One, including all of Ireland's group games
