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#1

GAA Discussion / Re: Casement Park in line for ...

Last post by Saffrongael - Today at 02:16:55 PM

I dont think anyone has mentioned it yet but for the people of Glencolumbkille its a 3 hour and 16 minute drive to Casement Park.

It's west Donegal, it's a fair trek to any location for a match

#2

General discussion / Re: Things that make you go Wh...

Last post by DaleCooper - Today at 01:57:48 PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjgn2dzpg2o

Asbestos, Risk to power lines,  hospitals nearby.... but go ahead,  light your bonfire.

The north really is  a retarded cesspit run by  a shower  of useless  pricks

There's a reason all the smart people get out of dodge at first opportunity

#3

GAA Discussion / Re: Casement Park in line for ...

Last post by DaleCooper - Today at 01:44:02 PM

I dont think anyone has mentioned it yet but for the people of Glencolumbkille its a 3 hour and 16 minute drive to Casement Park.

#4

GAA Discussion / Re: Casement Park in line for ...

Last post by twohands!!! - Today at 01:31:44 PM

Some info from last year's financial accounts regarding Croke Park.

Contribution from our match day activities was disappointing. Total contribution at €1.69m in 2024 was down €140K on 2023 at €1.83m. We hosted 31 match days in 2024, compared to 36 in 2023, with match day attendances falling from 948,000 in 2023 to 865,000 in 2024

So basically Croke Park made a profit of €1.69m in terms of its core business of hosting GAA games in 2024 off the back of 31 match days with a total attendance at those matches of 865,000.

When you compare the attendances of those games at Croke Park versus the absolute best case scenario for annual match attendances at Casement [The attendances for the whole of the Ulster Championship has been around the 100k for a good few years] the capacity for the core operations to turn a profit look severly challenging.

As referenced at the outset, our non-core activities, generated a contribution of €8.3m in 2024. In comparison we had no non-core events in 2023. In May we hosted the legendary Bruce Springsteen and in August, Coldplay delivered one of the great series of evenings held in the stadium, a concert sequence, that put us in the Top 10 worldwide stadium venues in 2024, as listed by Polestar. Not to disappoint, Leinster brought a full house to the stadium for their Champions Cup semi-final

The difference between the two years is obviously stark - 2024 was probably cost to a perfect year for non-core activites compared to 2023 which was a complete zero - the issue is that none of these activites are in any way reliable. I'm convinced that Casement would be a lot closer to Pairc Ui Chaoimh compared to Croke Park in terms of attracting events.

I only took a fairly quick look at the accounts and I definitely don't feel like I have a full handle on the exact nature of the business of Croke Park. Frankly this would take more time that I'm willing to spend looking at previous years' financial reports and looking at the various subsidary companies that make up the Páirc an Chrócaigh Group of Companies.

These are all the companies that make up the Páirc an Chrócaigh Group of Companies

- Páirc an Chrócaigh CTR. The principal stadium trading company. PCT posted an operating surplus before interest,
distributions, and exceptional items, at €15.1m for the period 2024 an increase of €3.3m on 2023 at €11.8m, a
27.9% improvement.
- Brindare Ltd. This company is responsible for income and expenditure associated with our meeting and events
business. The business recorded a 77.8% improvement in room hire and food and beverage revenues.
- Gambetto / Mercury Investments/ Croke Park Motors – are vehicles we use to hold our property assets. As
expected, rental income for the 12-month period 2024 is largely unchanged on prior year.
- Lauris Ltd. This entity accounts for our pitch farm which is located in North County Dublin.
- Clonliffe Property Investments – this company holds our new hotel which is currently under construction.
- National Handball and Croke Park Community Centre CLG – we hold a 50% interest in this JV in respect of the
handball centre to the East of the stadium. During the period, PCT's share of the of the joint venture, NHCPCC,
losses for the year were €124K.
- For completeness two other companies Le Cheile Promotions Ltd and Musaem CLG CTR, are related by common
directors but do not form part of the consolidated figures.

I'm not really sure how that Brindare in particular fits into things.

Also I'm a bit suspicious when I see something like

The business recorded a 77.8% improvement in room hire and food and beverage revenues.

when there's no actual Euro amount provided.

There could be some intra-group transfers and stuff like that going on - this was very much a quick and dirty look to see what sort of basic info I could find out about how Croke Park is doing.

What I couldn't figure out is how these core and non-core activites ended up contributing to a situation where the Group of Companies had a profit, before interest, tax, CLG distribution and exceptional items, for 2024 of €21.3m and contributed a dividend of €16m to CLG (the overall main GAA financial company) especially when the profit increased so much compared to 2023 but the dividend only increased by €1million compared to 2023.

The directors of the Páirc an Chrócaigh Group of Companies are pleased to report a strong set of results for 2024. PCT Consolidated Group turnover, for 2024, at €59.7m represents an increase of €17.7m, or 42% on 2023 at €42m. A significant contribution to the results was from non-core activities, emphasising the importance, in particular, of concerts to the overall stadium performance.

PCT Consolidated Group profit, before interest, tax, CLG distribution and exceptional items, for 2024 was €21.3m, an increase of 85% on 2023 at €11.5m. The strong performance facilitated a dividend payment of €16m to CLG, marginally up on 2023 at €15m and underlines the importance of the stadium  in the furtherance of CLG ambitions.

My overall thoughts looking at this limited information is that spending £270 million plus on Casement is just an absolutely terrible idea, bordering on criminal neglience.

#5

General discussion / Re: Hamas attack Israel & sub...

Last post by SaffronSports - Today at 12:54:52 PM

If it wasn't so serious you would just laugh at the thought of it.

#6

GAA Discussion / Re: Donegal v Meath semifinal ...

Last post by Dunneroyal - Today at 12:52:18 PM

Who is playing in the preliminary match in Croke Park on Sunday?

Junior football final. Kilkenny v

New York v Warwickshire  and Kilkenny v London semi finals on Friday in Abbottstown and the two winners play in the final on Sunday at 1:30pm.  Can't imagine many Meath and Donegal fans will be rushing in to watch that?

Not many rushing but I'd say a fair few will get in for last 15 minutes.
I was hoping for tc final.

#7

General discussion / Re: Things that make you go Wh...

Last post by AustinPowers - Today at 12:50:59 PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjgn2dzpg2o

Asbestos, Risk to power lines,  hospitals nearby.... but go ahead,  light your bonfire.

The north really is  a retarded cesspit run by  a shower  of useless  pricks

#8

GAA Discussion / Re: Tyrone v Kerry Semifinal 2...

Last post by AustinPowers - Today at 12:43:21 PM

From Tony Leen in the Examiner: Diarmuid O'Connor (shoulder) and Tom O'Sullivan (ankle) will miss Saturday's All-Ireland SFC semi final.

I heard that the Kerry lads are suggesting that Tyrone had a sniper in the trees down at Currans. He was targeting David Clifford who was marking O'Sullivan in backs v forwards. Clifford was too quick and he hit O'Sullivan's ankle instead. O'Connor apparently hurt his shoulder after being hit by a truck. The Kerry lads are claiming it was a McAleer and Rushe truck, lots of speculation as to why the truck was in the area but the driver drove off with his middle finger out the window.

This Tyrone /Kerry rivalry is really turning nasty , so it is

#9

Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread

Last post by SaffronSports - Today at 12:42:06 PM

However many teams is decided, league and Championship should not be aligned. There are teams that struggle in the league year on year. Those teams should be able to go down and play div 2 league football and maintain senior status when they have their full panel available to them.

#10

GAA Discussion / Re: Tyrone v Kerry Semifinal 2...

Last post by quit yo jibbajabba - Today at 12:25:37 PM

Still wouldn't make top ten according to yer man