GAA Director General at Meath Co Board meeting

GAA Director General Paraic Duffy addressed delegates at tonight's Co Board meeting in Navan to outline the details of the proposed changes to the All-Ireland SFC series that will go to Congress this year at Easter in Croke Park.

'We will be making decisions in a few weeks about the format of the All-Ireland football championships and I think it's important that I take opportunities like this to talk to delegates first hand about them,' he said.

'I would like to see the new format adopted, but if the proposals are not ratified I will not have a problem accepting that either,' he said.

The DG outlined the proposed changes and addressed some points raised by delegates, but he also mentioned that support for the re-development of Pairc Tailteann would be forthcoming from Croke Park.

'Croke Park will support the re-development of Pairc Tailteann - a financial plan for the project is a priority,' he said.

'What we don't want happening is that Meath Co Board gets saddled with a debt for the project that it can't handle.

'We'd like to see the project start as soon as possible, Navan is a great venue and I have no doubt that the financial issues will be resolved.

'You have good people on the development committee and they will make certain that the work goes ahead,' he added.

Regarding the new format proposed for the All-Ireland SFC, the DG concluded by saying: 'If the new format is adopted, by the third week of July all county teams will be finished unless they get to the last four, the semi-finals, and that's an improvement for the clubs.'

After the DG left the meeting a vote was taken and the delegates voted  by a big majority for Meath to support the new format for the All-Ireland series at Congress.