A motion to return the minor age grade to U-18 in Laois was ruled out of order at Monday’s annual convention – but Laois GAA have committed to examining the issue fully ahead of the 2027 season.
The Emo club had a motion proposing that the minor grade be changed from U-17 to U-18 but it was ruled out of order as it was an issue that should have been in place for the most recent meeting of the county board in November.
Laois is one of the few remaining counties where minor is at U-17 and the remaining juvenile grades are at odd ages – ie U-15, U-13 etc.
However, Laois GAA officials are in the process of setting up a group to look at the issue in its entireity.
Switching minor from U-17 to U-18 would necessitate switching U-15 to U-16 and U-13 to U-14. If that were to come in in 2027, it would mean the older players in a particular age grade would get two years in a row in that situation and the younger players would have to play two years in a row where they are a year out.
The U-20/21 grade would have to be considered as would the Go Games age groupings.
The other consideration is of ‘decoupling’, a phrase that is almost exclusive to the GAA world. Decoupling means that minor players aren’t permitted to play in adult competitions.
With minor currently at U-17 that isn’t an issue as you have to be in your 18th year to play adult.
But if minor switches to U-18, Laois would have to decide whether to apply ‘decoupling’ or not.
Preventing players from playing adult with their clubs until they’re 19 wouldn’t be hugely popular – but balancing a full schedule of games for U-18 teams where they are also allowed play adult would create challenges too.
Laois GAA secretary Niall Handy told the meeting that Munster GAA have a motion going to annual congress calling for inter-county returning to U-18.
The new age grades were introduced nationally in 2018 when among the reasons for moving minor away from U-18 was to lessen the crossover with players doing their Leaving Cert.
However, the accompanying switch of U-21 to U-20 – coupled with the growing number of Leaving Cert students being U-19 – meant that many of the players in that cohort were now clashing with the new U-20 grade.
