Croker hands €7m to GAA

THE Croke Park management company handed over €7 million last year to the Ard Chomhairle, the central council of the GAA, a €10m drop on 2009.

It also made a transfer to an asset replacement reserve of €750,000 for the future redevelopment of the stadium.

According to accounts just filed for Páirc an Chrócaigh Teoranta and subsidiary companies, the company made a profit of €10.5m before the payment to the Ard Chomhairle, down from €21.5m the previous year. It also paid a grant to the museum of €800,000.

Turnover in the year was down from €50.7m in 2009 to €36.8m in 2010.

It saw pre-tax profits fall from €4.5m to €2.8m in the year to the end of December 2010. The company made just over €10m from the use of its corporate facilities, slightly down on 2009. It took in just over €7m from the hire of its facilities, down from €18.7m in 2009.

The income generated from advertising space was up on 2009, with the company taking in almost €440,00 compared with €255,108 in 2009. Staff and security costs came to €1.7m, down slightly on 2009. Ground repairs and match-day costs totalled almost €5m, while redevelopment-related expenses amounted to €439,341.

The average number of employees at the end of the year was 31, with 20 of those employed in marketing and administration. Staff costs were up slightly to €1.4m last year. The company paid out €642,061 on rent and rates in 2010 while expenditure on heat, light and power came to €695,801.

The stadium redevelopment fund now stands at €39.8m, up from €37.8m in the previous year. Loans totalling €7,206,062 were owed to Ard Chomhairle at the year end.

Pairc an Chrocaigh Teoranta received a dividend from Gambetto and Croke Park Motors amounting to €211,236 and €24,520 respectively.