Seeing matters of a sporting nature ending up in the courts does absolutely nothing to enhance the image of the organisation involved and the wish of one and all would surely be that such situations could be sorted out without recourse to such measures. By Liam O'Rourke The GAA is no different in this regard and it certainly represented a progressive and highly sensible move on behalf of the association when the Disputes Resolution Authority was established earlier this year with the function of administering an arbitration system. And it was good to see a Meath man appointed to the position of secretary of the new body in Croke Park. Liam Keane, the Dunshaughlin-based solicitor, was chosen for this very important role and that represented an honour for his club, Cortown, and the county as a whole. The Disputes Resolution Authority was set up as a result of the increasing number of cases involving GAA matters which were ending up in the courts in recent years and its basic function is to introduce efficiency. The association, at congress, passed a motion setting up an arbitration system. Keane, who is still a playing member of the Cortown club, was on the rule book task force and it was as a result of that group's proposal that the arbitration committee was established. The Disputes Resolution Authority administers the arbitration system and the desire is that cases like those that have ended up in the courts in the past will go to arbitration which, quite understandably, is viewed as a more appropriate forum for all those concerned. In general, it clearly represents a far better way of dealing with GAA matters. Court cases, and the publicity they can generate, obviously don't do sport any good and that applies to the GAA like any other sporting organisation. Therefore, the obvious hope is that the arbitration system will help to eliminate such situations for the association. At the time of writing the Disputes Resolution Authority had just concluded a hearing from Cork and the members of the new body are obviously kept seriously busy at such times. But how does the secretary find his position in general? "The position is time consuming when cases are being dealt with and there can also be periods when nothing is being dealt with and it's quiet," Liam Keane pointed out. "At the start we had to set up panels of arbiters and then get them approved by Central Council. That was a busy time and when cases are ongoing it can also be quite hectic. To date (June - although busy times were ahead for Liam thanks to Ulster's finest) there haven't been a lot of cases, though we have received a lot of inquiries, with people wanting to know more about the authority." The Disputes Resolution Authority was set up at the GAA's annual congress last April and was, quite rightly, viewed as a forward and positive step for the association. "One of the motivating factors in setting it up was the desire to keep cases out of the courts," Keane added. "After all, nobody wants to be photographed coming out of the Four Courts! The expense involved isn't as bad either and the whole process is quicker. "The first case the Disputes Resolution Authority dealt with was the one involving Mark Vaughan and the whole thing took only a week to conclude. If it had gone to court it would have taken much longer. At an estimate, an average case going to court would easily last for a year. "An example is the Martin Barry/Dessie Rogers case in Meath. The incident took place on the 19th July, 2003 and Judge McMahon gave his judgement on 13th April, 2005. That's an example of how long it can take to complete a case and that particular one was relatively quick." The new body is in the relatively early stages of its life, but the secretary is happy with the way things have been working out. "I think it's working well," he said. "There was a bit of controversy surrounding the Vaughan decision, but overall I'm very pleased with the way it has been working out." How good it is to see a Meath man playing such an important role in a body that clearly has the potential to work for the considerable benefit of the association in the future - a similar situation that applies to Trim club man Brendan Dempsey who is the chairman of the Players' Injury Scheme Committee, a body that has done outstanding work in the setting up of a fund for the benefit of players. Of course, Liam Keane is no stranger to GAA followers in the county, due to his involvement both as a player and on various committees at club and Co. Board level. Apart >from his role as secretary of the Disputes Resolution Authority in Croke Park, he is currently on the management committee of the Meath Co. Board and has held other positions in the past, including youth officer. He acts as a Cortown club delegate at Co. Board meetings and has served his club in many different roles over the years, including those very important positions of secretary and treasurer, as well as on various committees. He is still serving the Cortown club as a player, lining out in defence with the second string team in the Junior B Championship this year, and was a key defensive figure as they climbed through the ranks during the 1990s to fulfill their great ambition and join the elite of Royal County football in the senior ranks. Cortown have been playing their football in the top grade now for nine seasons and have gained many admirers with their wholehearted and thoroughly committed play which can make them very difficult to beat. Their triumphs in the 1990s represented a fantastic achievement for a club which doesn't have the sort of pick that so many others have enjoyed and what an historic day it was back in 1993 when they took their first big step up the latter of progress by winning the Junior Championship with a final victory over Dunboyne's second string. And they didn't hang around for too many years in the intermediate ranks either. Once they had made the jump up from the junior ranks there was a determination there to make the far more significant leap forward and join the big boys in the senior grade. It happened only three years after the breakthrough at junior level when Cortown defeated Duleek in the Intermediate Championship final of 1996 to spark off tremendous scenes of jubilation and signal their emergence as a senior club. Anybody who thought Cortown would struggle to hold their own in the top grade was proved very wrong as they marched all the way to the senior semi-finals at the first attempt in 1997, only to lose out to Trim who, in turn, went on to lose the final to Navan O'Mahonys. The championship successes in '93 and 96, which formed the stepping stones to senior football, and going so close to reaching the Keegan Cup final in '97 have been the great moments for the Cortown club and Liam Keane was there in the heart of the defence during them all. How good it is to now see him playing such an important role on one of the GAA's bodies in Croke Park. Tweet

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