Duffy underlines US eligibility for inter-county players
GAA director general Paraic Duffy has underlined that GAA inter-county players who want to play in GAA competitions in North America (NACB) this summer - in either hurling or football - can only do so if they hold a valid, current J1 visa and a separate J1 sanction.
An e-mail sent by Tony Watene of the Games department on Thursday night on behalf of the Director General, reminded County Board officials of a ruling passed at this year's GAA Congress.
The ruling states that the NACB and all of its Divisions have agreed that for a three-year trial period (2008 to 2010 inclusive) no member of an inter-county senior panel, who has competed at any level in the hurling or football championships of the current year, will be accepted for registration as a member of any club in the NACB jurisdiction.
Watene is a former president of the Aussie Rules Football League of Ireland and a former official of the North American County Board Games Administration Committee.
The email affirmed that all members of inter-county senior panels are affected, including players who are part of a panel on a match day in this year's championships regardless of whether he actually played on the day(s) or not.
An exception has been made for those who are students, but only for 2008.
A full-time bona-fide student (that was eligible for a J1 visa), who was part of a senior inter-county panel in this year's championship (and who had not planned to obtain a J1 visa because of his county commitments), is eligible to obtain a sanction without a J1 visa.
He can be registered to play by the NACB and will be counted as a J1 visa sanction player, the e-mail stated.
Last year, Cavan footballers Seanie Johnston and Paul Brady were among those who headed to America to play football, following the exit of their county from the senior championship.
Johnston and Brady travelled to Chicago in July to play for club side St. Brendan's, ahead of the Breffni men's All-Ireland qualifier campaign.
At the time, Cavan manager Donal Keoghan expressed his disgust at the departures.
"Any fella that goes away to America won't be wearing a Cavan jersey again while I'm in charge," Keoghan said at the time.
"If they want to train all year and then up sticks and head off to America then it just shows how much they really care about Cavan football."
However he had a change of heart this year with both Johnston and Brady featuring in the county's Ulster championship campaign.
Applications for sanctions to the NACB and Canadian championships end next Tuesday (July 1), after which no further applications will be entertained.
