Motions debate: On a day when motion 23 dominated Congress, there was also other business of long-term importance.
The last items on the agenda, motions 50 and 51, called for Congress to approve the reports of two high-calibre committees, one recommending the overhaul of the Games Administration Committee and the other installing structures to deal with arbitration and appeals. Both were passed overwhelmingly.
Páraic Duffy, former chair of the GAC and by this stage something of a Croke Park troubleshooter, who chaired the GAC review task force, said the idea behind the key proposal of dividing responsibilities was that there was "not sufficient time to give full consideration to both fixtures and discipline".
He added that the twin functions would be catered for by "two key national committees that require separate skills". Accordingly, the central disciplinary committee would be appointed rather than elected, which would bring it into line with other national committees.
For the initial 12 months there will be an interim constitution to allow the GAC to continue until the expiry of the current presidential term. There will also be a staggered turnover of members so that continuity can be preserved.
Cork's Frank Murphy, the nearest thing the GAA rule book has to a doctor of divinity, chairs the enormously complex rule book task force, whose interim report laid out the basic structures for dealing with appeals, arbitration, disciplinary rules and updating the anti-doping code.
Murphy's specialist knowledge is being supplemented on the committee by, among others, Meath solicitor Liam Keane, barrister Micheál O'Connell, son of Kerry football icon Mick, and former Supreme Court judge Hugh O'Flaherty.
There will be a new central appeals committee to deal with all appeals at central level which previously were heard by Central Council or management committee. It will comprise a chair appointed by management and four members drawn from each province appointed by management, plus another four from each province appointed by Central Council but on the recommendation of management.
Keane, who will be the first chair of the independent arbitration committee, the disputes resolution authority, and O'Connell addressed Congress on legal aspects of the structures.
Congress approved in principle Murphy's request that his task force be given the green light to examine disciplinary rules "on a green-field basis" and to update the anti-doping code as required without having to get Congress approval for each change.
Whereas these initiatives were welcome and highlighted for praise in Seán Kelly's presidential address, the cause of reform got little encouragement during a bleak opening session which saw virtually all of the disciplinary task forces' recommendations binned.
Most depressingly, the proposed and long-overdue provision of sanction against serial yellow-card collectors was heavily defeated.
Task force chair Tommy Moran announced that this reform would be the only one contained in motion 10 that would be put to the floor.
Despite a consensus that something should be done about the ability of players to treat yellow cards as collectibles, the idea that four successive yellows should result in a one-match suspension was shot down because it would be too hard to administer at club level.
