GAELIC GAMES: GAA director general Liam Mulvihill has indicated that he may reconsider his decision to retire next year. Now entering his 27th year in office, Mulvihill said comments a year ago to the effect that he wouldn't be interested in staying on beyond his 60th birthday were a reflection of his mood at the time.

"As you know, when I did an interview last year it was after a long period in hospital and a long period out of work. When major sickness visits you it does tend to focus you on thinking of items like that, but thankfully I'm back to full health now . . .

"My contract will be up in 2006. It's not unknown for people to look for an extension of contract or to be given an extension of contract, but to be quite honest I haven't even thought about it. As of now I'm just working away and not thinking of retirement."

The remarks are part of a wide-ranging interview published in today's Irish Times. During the course of this, Mulvihill asks why the Lansdowne Road redevelopment project, being undertaken by the IRFU, the FAI and the Government, can't be completed in phases and so allow matches to be played over the construction period.

This matter is of considerable interest to the GAA, which will come under renewed pressure to allow Croke Park be used for rugby and soccer internationals while Lansdowne Road is out of commission.

"One aspect that no one has focused on at all is why can they not do what we did - spread the project over a slightly longer period and continue to play games. I can't see any reason why this couldn't be done.

"Obviously I'm ignorant of their plans but it would appear that it should be possible to come up with a phased development, which would allow the major internationals to be played albeit with a reduced capacity. This is an option that nobody seems to have considered."

Among the other topics covered is that of relations between the players' union, the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and Croke Park. There was friction before Christmas with the decision of the GPA not to cooperate with a DVD of Cork's hurling year because the players weren't happy with the money being offered by production company Setanta.

This was widely seen as the first shots in a campaign to secure a share of the GAA's overall media rights for the GPA. Mulvihill denies that these rights constitute "a pot of gold" and of general relations with the GPA says the GAA has no problem dealing with the players' body about certain matters.

"What I am saying is that we can talk away to them about welfare issues but when they stray into the commercial area, it's a different thing."

In relation to media rights, the director general reveals that the GAA's income has taken a knock because of a decline in the overseas market, brought about by the sale of RTÉ's programming to the Sky Digital platform.

"We came from a position where the international rights were tiny money to one where they became more lucrative than domestic rights. Then two years ago RTÉ did the deal with Sky and RTÉ programmes went on Sky Digital. As a result that killed the sale of our rights in Europe.

"I think it's accepted that if you move from England to Spain or France all you have to do is bring your viewing card and your machinery and you can set them up anywhere in Western Europe and continue to receive the programmes.

"Although they're all supposed to be encrypted and it's not supposed to be possible to access the pictures, people are showing our games in resorts all over Europe and not paying us for it. As a result our international rights holders lost a lot of money and our income has dropped substantially because of that."

Describing 2004 as "a bad year for discipline", Mulvihill expresses concern at the number of cases ending up in the civil courts and hopes that a new system of arbitration, currently under consideration by the GAA, can reduce recourse to this remedy.

He further reveals that the Irish Sports Council had turned down a suggestion that it establish a forum for sports arbitration. "In some countries this type of arbitration system has been set up by the local sports council and that's the way it is in Britain.

"We did suggest that to the Sports Council here but they didn't take it on. They said that they'd enough under their remit. That's why we're recommending going ahead ourselves."

Among his other concerns is the ongoing impact on the club scene of the expanding intercounty programme, which he says may have to be trimmed back if it is shown to be damaging local county schedules.

"Even if it means losing finance in terms of curtailing the intercounty programme," he says, "we may have to do it. I'm not saying we will have to do it but I am saying that's how important it is."

In part response to this he envisages a move from Saturday matches during the summer. "I think you'll see more and more qualifier matches on Friday nights over the next year or two."