GAA Windfall - how should the money be spent

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Use the money to develop GAA in areas where it's not strong, also have outreach programmes for the "new" population that has settled in the country, develop Hurling, but most importantly put it towards the Youth of Ireland, involved youth makes for a strong Association!

[Northside Dub]

How much debt exactly is Croke Park in??

[tayto]

Think it was down to 30 million or thereabout.

[larry buaile]

set up some kind of huge GAA school of excellence and also big feck off SPA and leisure centre so adults can have a mini break away with kids , pamper the adults yet have them all hone in on GAA related stuff.

While I believe the money should be spent on the loan payoff, I like this idea lynchie has above.  It could also be used by counties/clubs for their training week away.  County boards spend fortunes on headin away for training weeks in Jan/Feb, wouldn't it be great if that money went back into the pot.  I reckon it'd be booked out for a good part of the year.  Throw in a 50 mtr pool and a running track and you'd interest other sports, espeicially with the london olympics coming up.

Feck it, if I had 10 million, i'd do it meself.

[winghalfun]

I don't care how diluted the money becomes, it must filter down to the clubs directly in some way.

As I said also in a previous thread, there are enough full time paid positions in the organisation without the need to create more.
Just because you throw money at something or someone does not necessarily mean that you will be promoting our games.
Promotion needs to start at the volunteer level and some encouragement for them.

[rosnarun]

I agree with armaghmanic put the money in to the expanding area as the strengh of the gaa is in rural ireland which is disappering rapidly .
look at the city/big town clubs most seem to be run by Migrants there are now huge area in dublin with populations of a small midland county with almost no sporting outlets
the Gaa should get in first before the FAI get the govenrment to give them hugh grants and free fieldsto do just that

[darbyo]

Agree with winghalfun that the volunteers still will backbone the association but from my experience it is hugely benefical to have a dedicated  full time coach who can give direction and advice to the local volunteers. After all with the best will in the world a lot of people coaching at underage level don't really have a clue and it is at this level that most of the best coaches should be working to develop players correctly.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

While agreeing about volunteers being the backbone they also need the resources to enable them to train....

As everyon knows hurling is the poor relation so IMHO that is what needs the most help, in order to promote this there needs to be areas such as hurling alleys where kids can train easily in bad weather to improve touch and skill (the 2 main pre-requisites to being a top-class hurler)...these however can cost up to 250k and how many of the weaker/smaller county boards are going to invest that money especially when it would deprive the footballers...

A lot of the counties that go away in Jan/Feb is to get in some good training outdoors which is impossible in Ireland also..

[lynchbhoy]

While agreeing about volunteers being the backbone they also need the resources to enable them to train....

As everyon knows hurling is the poor relation so IMHO that is what needs the most help, in order to promote this there needs to be areas such as hurling alleys where kids can train easily in bad weather to improve touch and skill (the 2 main pre-requisites to being a top-class hurler)...these however can cost up to 250k and how many of the weaker/smaller county boards are going to invest that money especially when it would deprive the footballers...

A lot of the counties that go away in Jan/Feb is to get in some good training outdoors which is impossible in Ireland also..

St Brigids underage teams have been training since Nov - every wed & sun (inc Christmas eve and the day after St Stephens day)
on our new all weather pitch.
Hurling (and handball) alleys soon to be built soon.
A centre of excellence if not an all weather pith at each club that has the space - could be funded by the money

[tayto]

Great hurling facility being built up in Crokes, indoor hurling anrea and a hurling wall.

[realredhandfan]

What about puttin stands over terrace or do the only brainy people in Ireland all live in Longford.  It pishes rain 35 out of 52 weeks of the year and it really is a b'stard getting soaked all the time.  Im not even talking seats Im talking covered standing areas. 
Also

[tayto]

Also?

[downredblack]

GAA president Nickey Brennan gave assurances yesterday that the rental income from the staging of international rugby and soccer matches in Croke Park would filter down "into the regions" in a meaningful way.

Explaining the decision to hike up the price of admission to championship matches at three different levels yesterday Brennan said that clubs and counties would directly feel the benefit of the decision to open up Croke Park in financial terms.

He stressed that the money from renting Croke Park would not be touched for day to day use.

Instead it would filter down to the regions to provide capital expenditure for strategic initiatives which would be unveiled later in the year.

Guarantee

"I'm making a guarantee here that the extra money will find its way down into the regions, if that is the way to put it," he said.

The increase in ticket prices for All-Ireland finals, semi-finals and third round qualifiers would help to meet demands of an extra cost base at central level.

For All-Ireland finals the jump in price is most significant for stand tickets which go from €60 up to €70.

Terrace ticket prices rise from €30 to €35, an increase of over 15 per cent in both cases.

All-Ireland semi-final admission will now cost €45 euro for a stand seat and €30 euro for the terrace, an increase of €5 on both counts.

The most significant increase in percentage terms sees the entry for a third round qualifier jump 25 and 30 per cent respectively for stands and terraces, up €5 from €20 to €25 and from €15 to €20.

All-Ireland quarter-finals and first and second round qualifiers weren't targeted, presumably because they would be most vulnerable to an attendance decrease in the event of a price hike.

A ticket price increase hadn't been sought for three years and in light of 'flat' attendances in that period, as Croke Park's new finance director Tom Ryan put it, against a rising cost base increases were now necessary. Ryan highlighted how grants to weaker counties doubling in 2007 would provide an outlet for the increased revenue from ticket prices.

Overall the increases have the capacity to bring in close to €2m provided attendance levels conform to recent trends.

Brennan said that despite the increases in prices he said the association felt there was still "exceptional value for money" there.

He mentioned the €20m makeover that Semple Stadium in Thurles will enjoy this year as one of the projects that will benefit from the increased revenue.

And he also highlighted how increased player welfare initiatives and more marketing and promotion of the games would also require extra funding.

Liam Mulvihill, the GAA's director-general, also stressed that the extra money would find its way down through the food chain.

"We'll be responding to clubs and County Boards who are crying out for support and are finding it hard to manage," he said.

Money from Croke Park rental, whether it's from concerts or international rugby and soccer matches, must first find its way into the Croke Park company accounts before it is redistributed to the GAA's Central Council in the form of a dividend decided by the board of directors, Brennan explained.

"Overall we're conscious to support the needs of the club with this. We'll have a lot of infrastructural developments going on, more and more counties are putting money into specialized training facilities and we want to lend our support financially to those efforts," said Brennan.

Colm Keys

[tayto]

indo yesterday said the GAA made 2.2 million from the frnech game. Not bad.

[deiseach]

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