Counties ponder how to spend Croker cash

COUNTIES have less than four weeks to decide how they will use the first raft of funding made available by the opening of Croke Park to soccer and rugby.

It was originally envisaged that the profits made from hosting the IRFU and FAI would filter down directly to the clubs but it has since been decided that counties can distribute the money among up to 10 clubs. Alternatively they may plough the funds into one single development that will benefit the entire county. All proposals must be forwarded to the National Infrastructure Committee for approval by August 1st.

Each county is due to receive €250,000 in the first raft of payments, which will be paid around late autumn or early winter, and the GAA has said the distribution policy has been tweaked rather than drastically altered.