Empowering more 'attractive' football a goal for new GAA president Jarlath Burns

New GAA president Jarlath Burns says Gaelic football evolving into a more attractive code to watch and slimming down the inter-county game are among his priorities as he begins his three-year term.

The former Armagh captain, elected last year to succeed the outgoing Larry McCarthy, becomes the 41st president of the GAA after being ratified at Congress.

With a busy in-tray covering the next 36 months amid integration plans and rising inter-county costs, Burns spoke in depth to RTÉ Sport's Marty Morrissey about what he hopes to see happen during the span of his presidency and one area was football and finding a means of encouraging more attacking play.

"If you look at the things that people are talking about that need changed, outside of the normal strategic plan that the GAA has - obviously the strategic plan and making sure that's at the forefront will be one of my top priorities - but Gaelic football, if you talk to a lot of people, they will say at the moment it is too easy to block good players from playing and it needs a lot of work done on it. Of course, coming from that background, it is inevitable that is going to be a priority for me," he said.

"I am from the sporting background of the GAA. I care deeply about the games and obviously I want to see a game of Gaelic football that is attractive to watch and where yes, we do allow defenders to do what they do best because that's a skill and that can be an attractive skill as well.

"But that we want to see forwards and the people who can play football being allowed to play football without being choked out.

"I think it's too easy now with the fitness of players that players can filter right back into the half-forward line and really choke out the threat from the