'Messy affair': Resignations and objections as new GAA rules spark controversy in club game

The introduction of the new Gaelic Football rules earlier this year were hailed as a major success, given the quality of the 2025 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. 

However, the roll-out of the rules to club fixtures across the country has not been as smooth in places and has created chaos in one county in recent days.

The decision of a midlands GAA club to object to the result of their controversial fixture at the weekend has taken a dramatic new twist with the team management resigning in protest at not being consulted about it.

Shamrocks, which is based in the village of Mucklagh, just outside Tullamore in Offaly, had decided to object to their Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship quarter-final loss to Ferbane on the basis that a two point score was incorrectly awarded to the winners in the first half.

The introduction of the two-point score (points kicked from outside the 40m arc) was one of the key rule changed recommended by the Football Review Committee which was chaired by Jim Gavin.

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Offaly Live reports that whole affair took another twist on Tuesday morning when joint managers John Monaghan and Brian Kinnarney and their back room team stepped down in protest at not being asked for their opinion about it.

The duo had come in as selectors under two outsiders, Mick Lillis and Brian Kelly four years ago and then took over as joint managers for the last three years.

Confirming that they have told the club they are stepping down, Monaghan said on Tuesday afternoon that irrespective of whether they or other people agreed with the appeal or not, he felt that they deserved to have been consulted by the club on Monday evening.

He accused the club of not showing them “respect” and said they had stepped down en-bloc.

Shamrocks GAA chairman Anthony Hanniffy did not wish to comment on the resignations.

The committee had met with players' representatives on Monday evening – the players went back to discuss it with other players and the committee decided to proceed with an objection when they returned with word that they wanted the club to pursue it.

It is an increasingly messy affair for Shamrocks who were edged out by 3-15 to 2-17 in a thrilling game that they should have won, coughing up a six point lead, conceding a late goal, missing an injury time goal chance and letting a very relieved Ferbane get out of jail.

The Shamrocks GAA committee had met on Monday night to discuss the loss and a fifth minute two pointer that was awarded to Ferbane forward Adam Egan.