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The GAA Congress is the supreme legislative body of the Gaelic Athletic Association (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael [ˈkʊmˠən̪ˠ ˈl̪ˠuːˌçlʲasˠ ˈɡeːlˠ]), commonly known by its acronymic, the GAA. The GAA is the international governing body of Gaelic games such as football and hurling. The congress may be annual or special.

An annual congress is where changes to the rule book, the Official Guide, may be undertaken; where the year is reviewed; and where a new president of the association formally takes office. It is a democratic meeting in which delegates from the county boards and provincial councils have speaking and voting rights.

Congress can attract significant attention depending on the issues being voted upon. A 2001 Special Congress held on 17 November voted to overturn Rule 21, the ban on members of the British security forces from holding GAA membership, shortly after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) came into being. The 2005 Congress was particularly significant; it made the historic vote to relax Rule 42, allowing Croke Park to be used by the Irish rugby union and association football authorities during the reconstruction of their stadium at Lansdowne Road.

The 2021 Congress occurred online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

1. "Annual Congress 2021: The Motions Explained". 23 February 2021. Unless specifically stated, all motions that are passed on Saturday will come into effect four weeks after Annual Congress. At the bottom of this article you can view and download the motions as they will appear before the delegates, both the ones that will be voted on this Saturday and those that will be deferred until a Special Congress later this year.
2. "Rule 21 is 'history' says GAA president". 19 November 2001. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
3. "GAA sanctions Rule 21 abolition". RTÉ News. 24 September 2005. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
4. "Ireland must wait to enjoy Croke craic". Planet Rugby. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
5. "GAA Congress gets the job done despite technical struggle". The Sunday Times. 28 February 2021.

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