February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Even though the removal of Rule 42 appeared to be in the balance when it was decided to hold the vote by secret ballot, the final margin of 227 votes to 97 was enough for the required two-thirds majority.
“It was the perhaps the most generous, most liberal decision ever taken by any sporting or business body,” said GAA president Sean Kelly, who had lent his considerable influence behind the movement for change. “Out of the generosity of our hearts, we have put our finest asset at the disposal of our keenest rivals.”
However, anyone expecting the floodgates of sporting ecumenism to open overnight will be sorely mistaken despite the GAA’s largesse. Saturday’s decision, for the moment anyway, is confined to Croke Park, and only for the period when Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped. Equally, the vote gives Central Council the power to decide whether to offer the stadium to another sporting body if a request is made.
If the planning hurdles surrounding the