Croke Park can now accommodate 80,000 spectators

Calls from eight counties for the effective removal of the controversial Rule 42 were ruled "out of order" by the GAA's motions committee.

The decision will be interpreted by many as a blow for GAA president Sean Kelly.

The Kerryman has made no secret of his view that the rule should be deleted.

Kelly is on the Congress motions committee which also comprises the GAA's director-general Liam Mulvihill as well as past presidents of the association.

GAA PRO Danny Lynch said that decision had been taken by a "substantial majority".

It is understood that a number of the past presidents who spoke out against change cited the GAA's Rule 5 which centres mainly on the association's role as a supporter of Irish activities.

Last year, a similar motion from Clare on the Croke Park issue was also ruled out of order by the GAA's top brass.

Director-general Mulvihill will refer to Rule 42 in his annual report and delegates will get the opportunity to comment on his observations.

It's perplexing that the same motion appeared on the agenda in 2001 Dublin GAA chief John Costello

However, any hopes that soccer or rugby internationals could be staged at the 80,000 Dublin stadium in the next 12 months have been dashed.

A motion on the Croke Park issue failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority by one vote in 2001.

Twelve months later, another proposal was decisively defeated.

Dublin GAA chief executive John Costello claimed that the latest decision from the motions committee "smacked of totalitarianism".

"It's perplexing that the same motion appeared on the agenda in 2001," said Costello.

"I can't understand why it was in order then and not in order now."

Clare delegate Noel Walsh claimed the decision was "a black day for democrary".