Cork GAA needs to run in 'more effective and efficient manner' says new chairman

New Cork County Board chairperson Pat Horgan.

The new chairman of Cork GAA has said the county must find ways to run “our affairs in a more effective and efficient manner”.

With Páirc Uí Chaoimh debt continuing to rest north of €30 million, it came as no surprise that prudent financial management and the need to generate more diverse income streams featured heavily in the opening address of new Cork chairman Pat Horgan.

While Cork County Board achieved a surplus of €467,500 for 2023, that figure pales in comparison to the loss of €2.688m recorded in the Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium accounts for the same period.

Describing the continued rising costs of Cork GAA as “a cause for concern”, Horgan said the debt burdened Páirc Uí Chaoimh has to wash its own face.

“Speaking of finance, it is no secret that we in Cork have had our own difficulties in recent years,” the new chairman began.

“We have renegotiated some of our costs related to Páirc Uí Chaoimh with a view to making them more manageable over the coming years. However, there is no doubt that the continued escalation of costs associated with running our association in Cork is a cause for concern.

“We must look at ways of running our affairs in a more effective and efficient manner. Cork GAA is not run for profit. We re-invest all of our income in the running of our affairs. Because of that, we need to be even more careful with our finances.

“If our expenditure continues to increase, we need to look at how we generate our income. Páirc Uí Chaoimh must play a significant role in this, especially through hosting conferences and events throughout the year.

“I’m conscious that many clubs face similar (financial) challenges. It is becoming increasingly important that clubs and the county board are not competing against each other in our fundraising efforts.” 

Servicing the Páirc Uí Chaoimh debt has made development of a much-needed centre of excellence a non-starter. At convention 2022, then chairman Marc Sheehan said the county was “big enough and strong enough” to explore the establishment of a large-scale training facility, despite the €30 million-plus albatross hanging around their necks.

Sheehan’s successor admitted that the lack of a centre of excellence remains “an ongoing issue” and pledged to make representations to Croke Park on the need for enhanced facilities in the county.

“While Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Páirc Uí Rinn have become model facilities for counties across the association, there is still a struggle to identify venues for our inter-county teams to train.

“The absence of a dedicated multi-pitch centre for Gaelic games is an ongoing issue. Several of our competitor counties have such facilities,” Horgan noted.

“There is no doubt that recent increases in participation, growing urbanisation, and integration will place additional challenges on the provision of facilities across the county.

“In the coming weeks, I will ask our Demographics Committee to conduct an audit of facilities across the county, to identify areas of specific concern.”

Looking beyond Cork, Horgan lamented the GAA’s failure to expand the footprint of hurling. He questioned the wisdom of the recent proposal by Croke Park to remove five counties - Louth, Leitrim, Longford, Cavan, and Fermanagh - from the Allianz Hurling League.

“The future of hurling cannot be sacrificed for increased investment in Gaelic football. It cannot be an either or. We cannot afford to pitch our games against each other.”

The Cork chairman did concede that the promotion of hurling can be “difficult”, as well as “expensive” to take part in. With the scarcity of Ash driving up hurley prices, he called on the Government to eliminate the 23% VAT on hurleys.

“Hurling can also be a difficult game to coach, especially when a parent coach might not have had a huge background in the game themselves. Primary School teachers were always a magnificent resource for Gaelic games.

However, teachers today face so many challenges and demands for their time that coaching our games might prove too much.

“I will ask our Games Development Committee and Sciath na Scoil to look at how we can spread the Hurling gospel, and how we can support our coaches and teachers.

“That is not to alienate Gaelic football. Many of the same issues that I have mentioned are equally apparent in Gaelic football. The plan for the future must be about developing sustainable clubs who can do their work from within their own resources.”