Leinster population trends ‘big challenge’

POPULATION trends in Leinster represent a major challenge for the GAA in the province. That’s according to Council Secretary Michael Delaney after a report they commissioned on the changing demographics on their 12 counties and the clubs in the 15 local authority regions.

“This report was recently placed before our county officers and its findings are fascinating,” Delaney said, “One statistic alone stands out — the population bulge in the 0-9 years age group. There are more than 312,000 in this group in Leinster alone.

“It is everywhere, both urban and rural, but mostly concentrated in the environs of the large provincial towns.’’

He states they must ‘face the consequences’ if the challenge is not met adding there should be an appreciation of the opportunity for Leinster GAA.

“We must continue with our infrastructures and games development plans in tandem — and it is here more than ever before that our province must work as a unit.’’

On the games front, he notes that the province won its fair share of All-Ireland titles — ironically in hurling at a time when ‘doom and gloom still lies over the ancient game’ in the province.

Financially, the Council had a very successful year, with ‘the pulling power’ of the Dublin footballers leading to record gate receipts. Specifically, the Dublin/Meath replay accounted for a big increase on the 2006 figure, he points out — with the two games netting close to €2.7million.

Gate receipts totalled €7,888,370 — with the senior football final between Dublin and Laois producing a gate of €1,653,487, compared to a mere €539,656, with the hurling decider between Kilkenny and Wexford, played on the same day as the Laois/Wexford football semi-final.

Overall, there was an increase of over €2m on the previous year.

Income for the year amounted to €10,671,979 while expenditure reached a figure of €7,890,707 — of which the major amounts were spent on match expenses (€2,204,589) and Games Development (€3,741,633).