Hurling takings outstrip football once again

Gate receipts from the 2014 All-Ireland hurling championship outstripped the football takings for a second successive year, GAA finance director Tom Ryan revealed.

The GAA accumulated €11.6m in gate receipts from last year’s hurling championship, the average attendance rising from 25,489 to 28,817.

The fall in gate receipts from the All-Ireland football championship — €11.4m in 2014, compared with €11.9m in 2013 — was caused by a 7% drop in the overall attendance figure. Ryan said the decrease was somewhat surprising given the drawn All-Ireland semi-final between Mayo and Kerry pulled a 36,000-strong crowd to the Gaelic Grounds.