TheGAA Congress is the supreme legislative body of theGaelic Athletic Association (Irish:Cumann Lúthchleas Gael[ˈkʊmˠən̪ˠˈl̪ˠuːˌçlʲasˠˈɡeːlˠ]), commonly known by itsacronymic, theGAA. The GAA is the internationalgoverning body ofGaelic games such asfootball andhurling. The congress may be annual or special.[1]
An annual congress is where changes to the rule book, the Official Guide, may be undertaken; where the year is reviewed; and where a newpresident of the association formally takes office. It is a democratic meeting in which delegates from thecounty boards andprovincial councils have speaking and voting rights.
Congress can attract significant attention depending on the issues being voted upon. A 2001 Special Congress held on 17 November voted to overturnRule 21, the ban on members of the British security forces from holding GAA membership, shortly after thePolice Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) came into being.[2][3] The 2005 Congress was particularly significant; it made the historic vote to relaxRule 42, allowingCroke Park to be used by the Irishrugby union andassociation football authorities during the reconstruction of their stadium atLansdowne Road.[4]
The2021 Congress occurred online due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Unless specifically stated, all motions that are passed on Saturday will come into effect four weeks after Annual Congress. At the bottom of this article you can view and download the motions as they will appear before the delegates, both the ones that will be voted on this Saturday and those that will be deferred until a Special Congress later this year.
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