Cut funding to Dubs at your peril, Gavin warns GAA chiefs

ALL-IRELAND SFC SEMI-FINAL:

As the Irish Examiner revealed last week, the GAA’s national financial management committee have set in motion plans to cut the amount of monies distributed in the capital.

It followed comments from GAA president Liam O’Neill and director general Páraic Duffy that an equalisation of funding to counties was required. Last week, Donegal manager Jim McGuinness compared Dublin’s situation to Roman Abramovich and his ownership of Chelsea FC.

Gavin knows Dublin’s latest sponsorship agreement has attracted a lot of attention, but stressed the obstacles faced by the GAA in Dublin competing against other sports.

“Since the AIG commercial deal, it’s been quite a passionate topic, even though it’s quite a similar package to previous partners that the county board were involved in,” he said.

“Funding for Gaelic games in Dublin is crucial. We’ve a lot of challenges on our doorstep with other sporting organisations, that would’ve been reflected in how Government and Sports Council would view funding required for coaching. There’s a direct correlation between coaching and participation at juvenile level. With the population base we have in Dublin, funding is important for coaching. If we have coaches, we have increased participation in Gaelic games. That’s how Government view it and any reduction in funding, from the perspective of the leadership in the GAA, would want to be aware of potential consequences. If there’s reduction in funding, there could be a reduction in participation levels in Dublin.”

Rather than cut Dublin’s funding, Gavin suggests the finances distributed by Croke Park to other counties for coaching be upped.

“I think it’s up to GAA headquarters to increase funding for all counties and put in full-time coaches at grassroots level so you can see the participation levels in Gaelic games increase.”

Put to Gavin that McGuinness’s comments may have been interpreted as Dublin’s ability to buy All-Ireland titles, he returned: “We’re all volunteers in the Dublin management team. I’m heading off to work after this [press conference], that’s the bedrock of the association at club level. It’s a volunteer organisation, since 1884, that’s what makes it great. All I know is within Dublin we have very competent and intelligent personnel doing the best they can do for Gaelic games.”

Gavin admitted he would be “very frustrated” if he were in Eamonn Fitzmaurice or James Horan’s shoes having to prepare for an All-Ireland semi-final replay in Limerick.

“At this stage of the season, it’s a player’s game, and if a player has earned the right to be in an All-Ireland semi-final I think they deserve the right to play in Croke Park.

“The timing is unfortunate though. This American football game at a Government level, there has definitely been a lot of planning — I think it was announced at the Irish Global Economic Forum last year that this game was coming. It is important not only for the east coast but for the island that we attract visitors in to the country.”