News: GAA president Seán Kelly never considered resigning last week after the Motions Committee embarrassed him by striking out the debate on Rule 42.

He was responding to comments by his own county chairman in Kerry, Seán Walsh, who said he had initially felt Kelly should resign because of the lack of support from the committee, overwhelmingly composed of his predecessors.

Asked had he considered resignation, the president replied: "I didn't. I decided I'd fight from within but I appreciate Seán's support. He feels, and a lot of people do, that the situation last week wasn't the most comfortable. What's needed now is a cooling-off period and then to try and ensure that this doesn't happen again.

"An apparatus has to be put in place to make sure that motions which clubs and counties feel strongly about and make the effort to have in order are heard on the floor of congress."

Walsh's comments were made on RTÉ Radio One: "What has happened over the past week is very, very serious for the association, and democracy within the association has been done a serious disservice by the ruling of the motion out of order for congress," he said. "To say that we can't even debate it is very embarrassing for the Uachtarán, Seán Kelly, who is doing a massive amount of work and I think it's extremely embarrassing for the organisation as a whole.

"It's probably the worst situation that has happened the Gaelic Athletic Association in its history. Whether you disagree with Seán's views on it or not, all he wanted to do was get it discussed at congress.

"Nobody will muzzle Seán Kelly. He will go on and fight for what he believes is best. What he can do is ensure that the motion in relation to Rule 42 is on the clár for 2005. I said during the week that maybe Seán should resign and show up the whole situation but that's not his way of doing business. But I said during the week that Seán should consider it."

Both men were at the monthly Vodaphone Player of the Month awards, which for February went to an unusual combination of a Kerry hurler and a Limerick footballer.

John Mike Dooley has been scoring prolifically for Kerry as the county has blown a hole through all opposition, as they chase a crack at promotion to Division One. Recovered from a bad run of injury last year, Dooley scored 3-1 and 4-2 in the opening National Hurling League fixtures against Mayo and Carlow and on Sunday the Causeway hurler added 2-1 in the defeat of Meath.

Stephen Kelly is better known on the national stage, as Limerick footballers have enjoyed their best year in over a century. His pace on the wing of the team's attack caused Kerry massive problems in last year's Munster final before injury forced his replacement. A member of Newcastlewest, he went on to be selected for the International Rules series in Australia last autumn.

His performances in the opening matches of Limerick's first season in Division One helped the county to the top of Division One B. He is the second footballer from the county - after John Galvin - to win the award.

Also yesterday the GAA launched a nationwide Irish language quiz as part of its contribution to the Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations. Tráth na gCeisteanna, which is the work of the Coiste Gaeilge, Cultúr agus Scór, chaired by former Armagh footballer Jarlath Burns, is the first in a series of initiatives planned by the committee to help promote the Irish language.

GAA clubs across the country are being asked to select teams of four to enter the quiz, which will be organised initially at county level with the county champions advancing to a provincial final and eventually to an All-Ireland final to be held in Croke Park during the summer.

Clubs are asked to contact local Oifigi Cultúr agus Teanga for further information.