Kildare GAA to move house..

[Donnellys Hollow]

So Kildare get a dig out and can still send their senior team on a warm weather training camp....interesting

The players paid for the trip through their own fundraising - not the county board. Do keep up.

[HiMucker]

So Kildare get a dig out and can still send their senior team on a warm weather training camp....interesting

The players paid for the trip through their own fundraising - not the county board. Do keep up.

How did the players manage that? I dont know anyone who would willing donate money in a fundraiser in aid of the players going away on holiday.  Some generous or saft folks in Kildare.  Or is it the players just paid for it out of their own pocket?

[sheamy]

So Kildare get a dig out and can still send their senior team on a warm weather training camp....interesting

The players paid for the trip through their own fundraising - not the county board. Do keep up.

That's seriously impressive. Do you have any details how they managed that?

[sheamy]

Here's another angle in today's independent...I hope I'm fully caught up now.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/martin-breheny-if-croke-park-trusted-kildare-to-get-their-own-affairs-in-order-they-wouldnt-have-imposed-an-outsider-to-monitor-finances-3083635.html

If Croke Park trusted Kildare to get their own affairs in order, they wouldn't have imposed an outsider to monitor their finances. And, as this country knows, outsiders aren't always as understanding as the natives.

Ironically, the Kildare bail-out comes at a time when their senior football squad are on a 10-day training camp in Portugal.

The cost of the venture has, apparently, been raised by the squad itself through various fund-raising ventures.

Presumably, the vast majority of the money emanated from Kildare people or connections, since people don't tend to contribute to anything that might improve a rival county.

So here's a key question: did the squad's fund-raising make it harder for the county board to build their finances, since the same sources can't be tapped all the time? Also, didn't team costs over previous years contribute enormously to Kildare's slide into financial trouble?

And while the squad may have raised the money for this training camp, other team expenses are the county board's responsibility.

In effect, Kildare appear to have two financial systems, one run by the county board, the other for -- or by -- the senior footballers.

And if the latter is impinging on the former -- as it surely must be in terms of fund-raising, which is a finite source everywhere -- it's unfair on other counties that Kildare get bailed out when their finances spin out of kilter.

Presumably, Croke Park had no choice but to intervene when such a major constituent body as Kildare ran into trouble, but as players from other counties feel the April chill at training tonight, they will envy their Kildare counterparts, who are away in sunnier climes despite their county board's serious financial problems.

Truly, it's a paradox which even the Troika would find difficult to fathom.

[Donnellys Hollow]

They have carried out all sorts of various fundraising ventures over the last few years. They have done the white-collar boxing in Time for a few years. They have had their own raceday at Naas. They raised €3,000 each through activities in their clubs - racenights, raffles, barbeques etc. A fraction of the proceeds from the Anthony Rainbow testimonial match went towards the players fund and I think the same with the Patrician's School's anniversary match before Christmas. The money they raised two years ago went towards their own gym in one of the old hospitality tents from the Ryder Cup at the K-Club and it was fitted out free of charge by a few of the players themselves.

The county board debt is mainly down to the money ploughed into the Hawkfield facility and various poor practices down the years.

[Dont Matter]

For most of the country it's still an amateur game but for others.........

[Dont Matter]

The county board debt is mainly down to the money ploughed into the Hawkfield facility and various poor practices down the years.

Good one.

[screenexile]

Holy god I just had a look through this . . . some amount of White Elephants about the place!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GAA_Stadiums_by_Capacity

[Donnellys Hollow]

The county board debt is mainly down to the money ploughed into the Hawkfield facility and various poor practices down the years.

Good one.

They pumped €3.5 million in to Hawkfield. I can't think of any other major expenditures on that scale in Kildare in recent years. Maybe you know different?

[Dont Matter]

The county board debt is mainly down to the money ploughed into the Hawkfield facility and various poor practices down the years.

Good one.

They pumped €3.5 million in to Hawkfield. I can't think of any other major expenditures on that scale in Kildare in recent years. Maybe you know different?

Shussshhhhhhhhhhh 

[Donnellys Hollow]

The county board debt is mainly down to the money ploughed into the Hawkfield facility and various poor practices down the years.

Good one.

They pumped €3.5 million in to Hawkfield. I can't think of any other major expenditures on that scale in Kildare in recent years. Maybe you know different?

Shussshhhhhhhhhhh 

That's a no then.

[HiMucker]

They have carried out all sorts of various fundraising ventures over the last few years. They have done the white-collar boxing in Time for a few years. They have had their own raceday at Naas. They raised €3,000 each through activities in their clubs - racenights, raffles, barbeques etc. A fraction of the proceeds from the Anthony Rainbow testimonial match went towards the players fund and I think the same with the Patrician's School's anniversary match before Christmas. The money they raised two years ago went towards their own gym in one of the old hospitality tents from the Ryder Cup at the K-Club and it was fitted out free of charge by a few of the players themselves.

The county board debt is mainly down to the money ploughed into the Hawkfield facility and various poor practices down the years.

So any money raised by players at fundraisers would have been done under the guise of money to help the team or county out.  They wouldnt have  knew some of it would be going towards a player holiday?  I think you would agree people would rather have their money spent on something else?

[Dont Matter]

The county board debt is mainly down to the money ploughed into the Hawkfield facility and various poor practices down the years.

Good one.

They pumped €3.5 million in to Hawkfield. I can't think of any other major expenditures on that scale in Kildare in recent years. Maybe you know different?

Shussshhhhhhhhhhh 

That's a no then.

Say nothing.

[Donnellys Hollow]

So any money raised by players at fundraisers would have been done under the guise of money to help the team or county out.  They wouldnt have  knew some of it would be going towards a player holiday?  I think you would agree people would rather have their money spent on something else?

The money raised went towrads the players fund. They can use it as they see fit as far as I'm concerned. I've no problem with them going off to Portugal with the funds they raised themselves. If people had a problem with how the players fund was spent then I'm sure the response among people in Kildare would not be as generous.

The county board debt and the players training trip to Portugal are two completely seperate issues despite the Indo trying to tie them together. Are the players supposed to fundraise for KCB because they cannot manage the county's finances correctly?

[sheamy]

You're completely missing the point DH...there is a finite amount of resources in any county. Presumably the county board pay all other expenses for the senior team? Or are the senior footballers self-financing?

If those finite resources are taken and spent on something non-essential like warm weather training, and at the same time, central GAA money has to be given to bail the county out, then that's wrong and unfair on other counties. You cannot separate the county board from the senior team and run two financial systems. I think that's the point Martin Breheny is making and I think many will agree with. The GAA won't let that happen either as Kildare might soon find out.

Good luck!