Increased attendances offset fall in revenue, insists Cooney

AS SPORTING organisations across the country this morning lay down the gauntlet to the Government over plans to cut sports funding, GAA President Christy Cooney last night insisted the increase in attendances the association enjoyed this year offset the decrease in revenue.

“There’s a press conference where the various sporting organisations are getting together to outline the value of sport and to basically outline why there should be not cut in funding for sporting organisations in our country. The chief executives of the various organisations are going to deal with that, with Paraic Duffy from our organisation. That will explain everything. “But, from a GAA point of view, we are happy with the year that has gone by. We adapted to the conditions, by not reducing our top-level prices, but by putting packages together.

“Of course, our revenues are going to be down this year but our ambition is to get our crowds up and get people going to our games. We put competitive packages together to get people to our games and it was wonderful to see so many families involved.