Boylan holds on to the Irish reins

The GAA have confirmed that Meath Sports Personality for the month of October Seán Boylan and his backroom team will remain in charge of the Irish team for the International Rules series that will be held in Ireland in 2009. The reappointment was discussed at a meeting of the GAA"s Central Council and it was unanimouskly agreed that Boylan be retained along with Eoin Liston, Anthony Tohill, Sean Marty Lockhart, Hugh Kenny and Sean Walsh. Venues have yet to be confirmed, but it is rumoured that the first test will be played at Antrim"s Casement Park on a Saturday eveningin October, with the second test in Croke Park. The series will then take a one year break, with no games planned for 2010, before resuming in 2011. The GAA are in discussions with the Australian Football League regarding the recruitment of young Irish players to teams in the AFL. Also discussed at the meeting were the All-Ireland Football Championship Qualifiers in 2009. It was decided that there will be no designated teams, and that the first team drawn in each tie will have home advantage.