John Fogarty: Golden visas carry health warning for GAA

Last month’s news that Louth GAA had secured €14.8 million funding for its new stadium via the Immigrant Investor Programme was met with 'why the hell didn’t we think of that'

FUNDING: Louth TD and county chairman Peter Fitzpatrick was cock-a-hoop in making the announcement about securing funding for Louth GAA's new stadium. File pic: Ciara Wilkinson

In county executives across the country, last month’s news that Louth GAA had secured €14.8 million funding for its new stadium via the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was met with “why the hell didn’t we think of that”.

The likes of Kildare and Meath had looked into securing investment via the same source but nothing to the extent that Louth achieved. Having a TD for a county chairman in Peter Fitzpatrick sure helped, you would imagine, and the county’s former senior football manager was understandably cock-a-hoop in making the announcement.