Connacht GAA complains at loss of key revenue stream
Mayo manager - and Connacht selector - Kevin McStay with Mayo and Connacht players Eoghan McLaughlin, Paul Towey and Diarmuid Duffy at Croke Park last weekend where the province beat Leinster but lost to Ulster on penalties in the Allianz GAA Football Interprovincial Series which trialed new playing rules, some or all of which will for before a special congress next month for ratification. The Connacht team also featured Aidan O'Shea, who was man-of-the-match against Leinster, Fergal Boland, Jack Carney and Bob Tuohy. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
A level of disquiet has emerged in Connacht GAA circles at the announcement last month to do away with pre-season inter-county competitions.
The decision that was taken by the Ard Comhairle (Central Council) has meant the discontinuation of the FBD-sponsored Connacht Football and Hurling Leagues, which has been one of Connacht GAA’s main sources of funding. In recent years, the competition has taken place in the AirDome at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence and the football competition, in particular, has attracted sizeable attendances.
The result is that Connacht Council is forecasting severe funding challenges, with projected income for the province expected to decline by nearly €150,000 due to losses in gate receipts, streaming and sponsorship combined.
To help counteract this, the provincial body, during its October meeting, accepted a recommendation from the Connacht GAA management committee to reduce ground rent payable to counties from 10% to 5% for the senior football championship in 2025.
In a statement issued on Friday, Connacht GAA expressed its disappointment at the removal of the pre-season competitions for 2025, saying it is “anticipated to have a particularly negative impact, especially as teams, match officials and supporters could have greatly benefited from experiencing new rules before the National League begins.” After last weekend’s trial of the proposed rule changes in the interprovincial matches at Croke Park, they will not be seen in a competitive environment again until the end of January – providing they are given the green light at a special congress in November.
The Connacht GAA statement went on to state that delegates from all its counties have raised concerns regarding the loss of revenue while also highlighting the necessity of these competitions, saying that managers would likely seek additional challenge matches and thus place increased demands on players in terms of both playtime and travel.
“The delegates highlighted the missed opportunities provided by the FBD Connacht League and expressed a strong desire to explore alternative solutions for balancing the budget.” New York won the Connacht Hurling League for the first time last year and it’s a competition that has also provided significant opportunities for London and Longford alongside the five Connacht counties, with Galway fielding a Development team each year.
