Kerry gain Munster entry, Minor grade to remain at U17

The Kerry hurlers will be automatically admitted to the Munster hurling championship in the future should they win the Joe McDonagh Cup after GAA Congress endorsed the proposition almost unanimously at Croke Park this afternoon.

Motion 19 - submitted by Munster GAA - specifying that Kerry hurlers should gain automatic entry to the Munster hurling championship after winning the second tier competition passed with the support of 91% of the delegates.

The result means that the playoff previously provided for between Kerry and the fifth-placed Munster team will be abolished.

Should Kerry win the 2023 Joe McDonagh Cup, then the 2024 Munster championship will have six teams.

Overall, there will be 11 teams competing across the two provincial championships, five in one, six in the other. Munster counties will compete in Munster, while the rest will enter Leinster.

The outcome does raise the possibility that one member of the existing Munster quintet could yet slip into the Joe McDonagh Cup, should they finish bottom of a six-team provincial round robin.

Elsewhere, Motion 7 was the subject of intense debate, with the proposal to move the minor grade from under-17 back to U18 rejected by the delegates.

Cork CEO Kevin O'Donovan argued for the restoration of U18 as the minor age grade, arguing the split season had resolved the previous issues. However, the motion was rejected after presentations by Dr Pat O'Neill and Michael Geoghagan on player burnout. GPA CEO Tom Parsons also spoke against the motion, stressing the need to protect players with multiple eligibility.

67.7% of delegates voted down the motion, meaning that the minor grade will remain at U17.

However, Wexford's Motion 10 arguing for the relaxing of the prohibition on senior