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Former Republic of Ireland footballer Liam Miller Donall Farmer/INPHO

Explainer: Can the Liam Miller tribute match be allowed take place at Páirc Uí Chaoimh?

A technicality in the GAA Rule Book could see the game played at the 45,000-seater stadium.

THE GAA COULD yet host a tribute match for deceased Republic of Ireland soccer player Liam Miller at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

This morning, the association told TheJournal.ie that it expects to meet the game’s organisers to arrange a meeting about the use of the stadium “very soon”.

It comes after a week that saw the association dig its heels in over the use of the 45,000-seater stadium.

On Friday, it insisted that a decision to have the game played at the stadium could only be overturned by Congress in February, adding that it was seeking legal advice on the matter.

But on Saturday afternoon, the association released a short statement which indicated a willingness to “discuss issues around the game” with organisers of the charity fixture.

So how likely is it that the game will go ahead at the home of Cork GAA? And why hasn’t the GAA been willing to discuss it until now?

Here we do our best to explain…

Liam Miller Liam Miller in action for Cork City Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Why is the game being held?

In February, former Manchester United and Celtic midfielder Miller died at the age of just 36, following a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

Miller, who represented Ireland from U15 to Senior level, left behind his wife, Clare, and three young children.

To raise funds for his family and Marymount Hospice, where he passed away, a glamour friendly between a Celtic/Ireland legends XI and a Manchester United legends XI was announced for 25 September.

Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Damien Duff, Robbie Keane and Denis Irwin are all among the names set to take part in the game at Turner’s Cross.

But with a capacity of just 7,000 at the home of Cork City FC, thousands of people were left disappointed when tickets sold out within minutes of going on sale last Friday.

Where does Páirc Uí Chaoimh come into it?

The idea to host the game in the newly-renovated Páirc Uí Chaoimh began to grow legs last week, when it became obvious that demand for the game would outstrip supply.

A general view of Pairc Ui Chaoimh A general view of Páirc Uí Chaoimh Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

The 45,000-seater stadium is seen as an ideal fit because it means more tickets could be sold, raising more revenue for Miller’s family and allowing more fans access.

It also means being able to keep the match in Miller’s hometown, a disadvantage for other mooted options such as the Thomond Park rugby ground in Limerick.

Cork lord mayor Mick Finn also told TheJournal.ie last week that there was a third advantage to using Páirc Uí Chaoimh: being able to show off the newly-renovated stadium.

Why can’t it be used?

Although Cork GAA, the tenants of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, said they were “receptive” to the idea of hosting the game last week, they were obliged to refuse under GAA rules.

Historically, the GAA has – for the most part – prohibited non-Gaelic games from being played in its stadiums under the old Rule 42 (which became Rule 44 in 2009).

This was modified at the association’s annual Congress in 2005 to allow soccer and rugby to be played in Croke Park while Lansdowne Road was being redeveloped, a decision that later became permanent.

However, Croke Park remains the only GAA stadium in the country that is allowed open for other sports.

A decision to change this can only be made at the GAA’s annual Congress in February, meaning that the Cork County Board has no power to sanction to use of Páirc Uí Chaoimh for a charity soccer match in September.

Can the GAA change its stance outside Congress?

Until recently, the association said no.

But speaking to Today with Miriam O’Callaghan on RTE Radio One last week, barrister Tim O’Connor – who specialises in sport and law – said there are ways around the issue without the association having to go to Congress.

He pointed to Rule 1.4 (a) of the GAA’s Official Guide Part 1, which states: “The Association shall actively … assist in promoting a community spirit through its clubs.”

O’Connor argued that if Central Council treated the game as a charity event, rather than a field sport, and wrote to the Cork County Board saying as much, it would mean the board could host the game without fear of being sanctioned for doing so.

He believes Rule 1.4 (a) would trump rule 5.1, which states that all GAA property should “be used only for the purpose of or in connection with the playing of the games controlled by the Association” – excluding Croke Park.

Liam Miller Liam Miller in action for Ireland during a 2010 World Cup Qualifier Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

What happens next?

The game’s organisers and the GAA have yet to make contact, let alone arranged a meeting to discuss the use of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

But with a thaw in the GAA’s stance finally emerging over the weekend, it now seems possible that the match could go ahead at the bigger venue.

Separately, the Department of Transport, Tourism, and Sport suggested it was ready to row in on the issue in light of a 2016 European Commission ruling on a €30m grant the government provided to help redevelop the stadium.

In its ruling, the Commission suggested that non-Gaelic sports could be played at the stadium, and told the government to monitor its use for 15 years.

A motion calling for councillors to support the use of Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the fixture is also due to be heard at a meeting of Cork County Council this evening, though this would not be binding.

It’s still far from certain that the match will be played in the Páirc, but with just over two months to go until the fixture takes place, there’s still plenty of time for a solution.

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    Mute RJ
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 4:59 PM

    Its embarrassing that it even has to be discussed.

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:16 PM

    @RJ: I know a fund raiser for a very wealthy family- total BS

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    Mute RJ
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:24 PM

    @Billy the Great: ahra luckily people like you will get over it and get on with your life. I’m sure. People have the choice to contribute to the tribute match, tickets etc..

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    Mute Jonathan Meany
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:32 PM

    @Billy the Great: You have problems, seek help

    65
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    Mute Nucky
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 7:00 PM

    @Jonathan Meany: there is no help for what he has

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    Mute Dave Slater
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 4:56 PM

    Surely the obvious, and most entertaining, solution is to get Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes etc. to play a Gaelic football match at Pairc Ui Caoimh. Or better still, a hurling match.

    119
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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:17 PM

    @Dave Slater: exactly the soccer showers were tripping over themselves to say the lad played a bit of GAA- then a game of proper football it should be.

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    Mute Noel Ryan
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:49 PM

    @Dave Slater: I think they have to be members of a GAA club to play. That should be no problem?

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    Mute Katie Wrest
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:55 PM

    @Dave Slater: That would actually be brilliant!!

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    Mute Daithi Murphy
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:55 PM

    @Noel Ryan: I’m sure ballincollig GAA will be happy to let them join

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    Mute Benson Hallahan
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 11:07 PM

    @Billy the Great: proper football? Is that the one where they pass with their hands that you’re talking about Billy?

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    Mute Ordinary lad
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:15 PM

    hmmm … I can think of 30 million reasons why the match will go ahead …. and why Cork City FC will play there too if they ever get a big CL draw … and why Munster Rugby will play there too when the moods takes them ….. are you listening Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the European Commission
    Directorate-General for Competition and the European Court of Justice [ECJ] in Luxembourg ???

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:19 PM

    @Ordinary lad: I can’t think of one reason why this nonsense should be allowed

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:24 PM

    @Billy the Great: because the GAA are the self styled backbone of the community?
    Because it’s a charity fundraiser?
    Because the people of cork, including the majority of GAA members and the cork county board want it to go ahead?
    That’s 3 reasons.

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:27 PM

    @Jim Demps: one would nearly think the family were poor listening to the soccer clowns

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:28 PM

    @Billy the Great: couldnt Marymount use the money?

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    Mute Thomas Devlin
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    Jul 27th 2018, 9:33 AM

    @Jim Demps: can’t you see that this gobsh#te is posting moronic dross to provoke response?just ignore,and let him get back to his crayons

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:09 PM

    Wouldn’t it be perfect time for the IRFU to offer Thomand Park, it’s not Cork but close, put this to bed and let the money hungry GAA go interfere with themselves .

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:18 PM

    @Gerry Campbell: the GAA has principles, the soccer shower wouldn’t have the mental faculties to understand that

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    Mute Ruairi O'Bric
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:19 PM

    @Gerry Campbell: Its not the IRFU’s to offer, it’s Munster Rugby’s, and you can be sure there would be no problem, Limerick FC played plenty of games there, and Musgrave Park hosted GAA matches when PUC was closed for redevelopment.

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    Mute Ruairi O'Bric
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:19 PM

    @Billy the Great: The GAA have rules, when it suits them.

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:21 PM

    @Ruairi O’Bric: the soccer shower have nothing- literally nothing

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    Mute Caped Crusader
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:23 PM

    @Billy the Great: the GAA’s principles go out the window regularly. We use the local GAA’s astroturf pitch for soccer all winter and nobody from Central Council seems to mind. Big difference is we pay for it whereas this fundraiser wont. I suppose its only principles until there is money on offer to the GAA.

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:25 PM

    @Caped Crusader: You soccer clowns wouldnt understand principles, there is a reason you are a laughing stock

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    Mute Caped Crusader
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:26 PM

    @Billy the Great: please explain why its principled not to allow soccer to be played at PUC but simultaneously allowing soccer to be played on GAA facilities all around the country? Very contradictory principles from what i can see

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:29 PM

    @Caped Crusader: why can’t they play gaelic football? too arrogant?

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    Mute Caped Crusader
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:32 PM

    @Billy the Great: because he was a professional footballer hence the want to play an association football game? I dont think anyone would disagree with that part, typical of the narrow mindedness of the GAA to actually make that counter argument. I understand rules are rules and CC must change the rules, however, im merely pointing out the rules are be broken, day in and day out all around the country and a blind eye is turned and the only reason for that appears to be revenue being generated.

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    Mute Tom Harrington
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 6:56 PM

    @Gerry Campbell: remember were did the Irish RUGBY team played , when the Rugby team had no stadium Well ??? as we would say in Cork you are some Langer !!!

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    Mute Pat Mangan
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 6:58 PM

    @Caped Crusader: So-called Professional Football has the worst facilities of its own in this country. The don’t own “their” national stadium. The better club stadia were built by local councils. Soccer followers are in no position to lecture GAA folk on use of facilities.

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 7:43 PM

    @Tom Harrington: Tom I’ll try to make this as simple as I can , they payed the GAA € 2mil for croke park, are you in your own simple way to sing to tell me that they offered Croker to a neighbor who was stuck ..

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    Mute David Wool
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:03 PM

    You could at least get the name of the hospice right, its Marymount not Millmount!

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    Mute Ruairi O'Bric
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 4:55 PM

    It’s Marymount not Millmount.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:22 PM

    It’s an absolute shame that all the good has been taken out of this by the GAA. What could have been a glorious opportunity to show off Páirc ui Chaoimh to the world has turned into a farce and what should have been a great fundraiser is now being talked about for all the wrong reasons.
    I’d expect the GAA to give in to public demand and let the game be held but they have really shown themselves up to be cavemen living in today’s Ireland. I think this incident has shown that the GAA, like the Catholic Church before them, are losing their grip on the Irish people and are now being shown that they are not in fact all powerful.

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:28 PM

    @Jim Demps: soccer shower have shown their true arrogance in all of this and will rightly be told to piss off.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:29 PM

    @Billy the Great: I’m afraid there’s only one organisation that are looking bad at the moment.

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    Mute Mike
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 7:44 PM

    @Billy the Great: “Soccer shower”. Ha ha ha, are you living in 1952 Billy?? Most of us support hurling and soccer teams. Crazy, I know.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 8:39 PM

    @Jim Demps:
    Can you tell me who you’re referring to when you say the GAA.
    Do you believe that some individual can make the decision on this or a small group of individuals?
    There’s are reason that there’s an annual Congress with delegates to discuss and potentially vote on rule changes or motions. The GAA is everyone that is involved at all levels and in all communities. It’s a union of like minded sports people and so much more.
    It’s not a self centered money grabbing quango like one particular organisation that for decades have not invested in facilities for their sport while it’s chief executive has a higher salary than the taoiseach while it’s highest league has clubs that can’t afford to pay its players.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 8:59 PM

    @Tony Doyle: I’m referring to whoever is blocking this game from going ahead and anyone who doesn’t support a charity game which would only be a good thing. You’re absolutely right about the FAI but it doesn’t excuse the backward thinking and downright embarrassing decision not to back this game by the GAA.
    A young man died and his friends and family are trying to put on a tribute game in his memory while also doing good for local charity. Anyone standing in the way of that should be ashamed of themselves.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Jul 24th 2018, 8:16 AM

    @Jim Demps:
    My whole point is that I believe that nobody is blocking it. Anyone would have sympathy for Liam Miller’s family and would wish to make this charity event as successful as possible, but nobody in the GAA can change rule 44 (as it now is) without a motion being put to Congress and subsequently passed. I’m not for one minute saying that this event shouldn’t be held in a GAA stadium and I believe most people would agree. The county boards are overseen by central council who in turn answer to it’s electorate.
    It does not have a chief executive that can do whatever he wants. The spin put on this by the organisers of the event and more so by the media will only make this more difficult to happen. The silence from the FAI is deafening. But I hope common sense prevails.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Jul 24th 2018, 10:37 AM

    @Tony Doyle: there’s no reason why an EGM can’t be called if the will was there to allow it.

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    Mute Daniel Roche
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    Jul 24th 2018, 12:43 PM

    @Jim Demps: no one is standing in the way,did you not read the article,the rules are standing in the way,enless a loophole can be found.

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    Mute Tadhg Lehane
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:14 PM

    At least the GAA are consistently and blatantly up their own arses.

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    Mute Niall Conneely
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 8:08 PM

    Why doesnt the FAI build pitches for regular people like rhe GAA does, instead of paying Its CEO €400,000 plus?

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    Mute Mark Fitzgerald
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 8:32 PM

    @Niall Conneely: you mean like the way the gaa are building casement park in Belfast?

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    Mute Coco86
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:04 PM

    Just let them play the fcuking game!!!!! Silly organisation at times that GAA

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    Mute Billy the Great
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:18 PM

    @Coco86: exactly, a good game of Gaelic football will suffice

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:29 PM

    @Billy the Great: what GAA club are you a member of? Or are you just trolling?

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    Mute McCarthy Kevin
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 7:10 PM

    @Billy the Great: You’re an embarrassment to the GAA family and Cork…
    Thankfully common sense will prevail and I have no doubt that the game will indeed be played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh…
    Go back into your cave @Billy the Great ….

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    Mute Aidan O'Donovan
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 7:44 PM

    @Jim Demps: it’s just trolling , not very good trolling at that

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 7:45 PM

    @Billy the Great: now there’s an oximoran,if ever there was one , apt really .

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 6:26 PM

    So embarrassing,and the €30mn was granted on the grounds,a eu rule,it was open to other sports.what kind of skulduggery is the GAA up to,that eu rule broke the GAA rule,but they signed up and grabbed the money,they havent a foot to stand on.

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    Mute Karl Phillips
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:24 PM

    Shocking organisation, catering for bigots to hide behind a rule book, hit them where it hurts in the pocket. We did see their carry on with Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght who remembers “We’ll see who the lasman standing is ” Well we did !!

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    Mute Mark Fitzgerald
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 5:54 PM

    I thought when the rugby submitted their bid to host the 2023 world cup it included GAA grounds.at what point were they going to change the rule prior to the tournament if the bid was successful?

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    Mute Tom smith
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 7:08 PM

    Would be nice to have a media that pointed to the facts as opposed to public opinion – gaels have no interest in this

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    Mute john reddy
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 8:12 PM

    Gaa cavemen!!!

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    Mute Malachy Rivers
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 11:10 PM

    Why can’t the FAI offer The Aviva for free, and put on free buses to all who attend, surely the main thing in all of this is to raise money for charity and remember one of their own who represented his country with pride. Why is the onus on The GAA?? Ideally have in Cork of course but don’t forget what this event is all about.

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    Mute oppenheimersghost
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    Jul 24th 2018, 7:41 PM

    TLDR GAA Bad,

    everyone else GOOD

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Jul 23rd 2018, 8:49 PM

    The fact is the GAA rules and constitution are so convoluted that any interpretation can be put on them to suit the shifting moods. They like to ignore their own rules when it suits them. When it is brought to their attention they can seek refuge in the fact that rules can only be changed at Congress or that one rule can supersede another when a contradiction arises. This charity football match will eventually go ahead based on a technicality. The public mood is in favour.

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