Kelly (right) says the issue will be on the 2004 Congress agenda

GAA president Sean Kelly's hope that the association would have a national ballot on the Rule 42 issue has been dashed.

Kelly revealed in his inauguration speech at this year's Congress his desire for a vote of all GAA units on whether Croke Park should be opened to other sports.

However, Saturday's meeting of the GAA's Central Council slapped down the proposal and reiterated the current position that only Congress had the authority to change the current position.

A motion from Roscommon at the 2001 Congress calling for Rule 42 to be repealed lost by only one vote.

A year later, a similar motion was heavily defeated and the GAA's previous president Sean McCague claimed at this year's Congress that the "majority of our members are against change...at this time".

Kelly has never made any secret of his personal view that Croke Park should be made available to the FAI and IRFU if only because the GAA currently doesn't have the money to finish the stadium's redevelopment.