Tipperary board posts €370,000 deficit for 2019

Tipperary County Board posted a deficit of €371,596 for 2019 after its accounts were published at annual Convention in Thurles last night.

It is the first time in seven years that the Premier County has recorded a negative return for the financial year — but it was expected, considering the costs associated with the All-Ireland-winning campaigns of their senior and U20 hurlers.

Excluding contra items, expenditure jumped 34% to €3.14m, with all areas seeing a rise in spending, most notably in the county teams’ administration expenses, which rose by a massive 54% — or €623,693 — to €1.77m.

Income for 2019 did rise by €306,000 to €2.77m, with commercial income from the county teams’ successes seeing an increase of 26% to €796,833 with the arrival of Teneo as inter-county team sponsors and FBD Insurance as sponsors of the club championships.

Fundraising income also rose substantially.

While income from club gate receipts fell by 12% to €464,128, the figure did not include all county hurling and football finals, which were played after the books were closed on October 31. If included, they would likely have seen the club gates match or marginally increase from 2018.

In his address, county board chairman John Devane said such a deficit “cannot be sustained at that level. Measures have already been put in place to address this and will continue throughout the year.

As I enter my final year as chairman, I intend to leave Tipperary in a healthy place, both on a playing and financial front.

"I believe this can be done without affecting the performances of our teams on the field.”

With the Liam MacCarthy Cup taking pride of place at the top table, Mr Devane urged the senior hurlers to take every game as it comes in their quest to retain the coveted prize in 2020.

“There is already talk about two-in-a-row and “back-to-back”. It’s all nonsense. 2019 was glorious, but we all start at the same stage for 2020. I have no doubt Liam (Sheedy) and the players will be fully focused on the task ahead,” he said.

In terms of officer roles, there were no contests for positions with new officers coming in, in the form of Mark McLoughlin (Roscrea), Mark Dunne (Moyne-Templetuohy), and former county chairman Sean Nugent (Kilsheelan/Kilcash) becoming development, Irish language & cultural officers, and Munster Council delegate respectively.