Strong hopes All-Ireland Championships will receive Government aid

A general view of Croke Park. Picture: Brian Lawless

There is growing optimism the GAA will receive Government aid towards the staging of the 2020 inter-county championships beginning next month.

As the organisation’s management committee and Central Council convene today and tomorrow respectively to discuss borrowing plans, there are strong indications the GAA will be able to avail of specific state funding likely in the form of loans.

The GAA are awaiting word from the Government having made a case for aid to support their staging of the championships, which they estimate will cost €19.5m this year.

With little or no crowds expected to be allowed to attend the matches, they require borrowings to make the competitions financially viable.

Along with the FAI and IRFU, the GAA are in line to receive a share of €40m ringfenced for the three organisations from the Government’s Covid resilience fund. However, their recent application for financial assistance is separate and pertains to organising the championships.

Unlike the FAI and IRFU, the GAA are not affiliated to an international body. In April, it was reported the IRFU are entitled to apply for €9m in cash advances and loans from World Rugby’s relief fund. In July, it was confirmed the FAI were to receive €1.28m from FIFA’s Covid fighting fund. The FAI would also have received a further €4.3m from UEFA only that they had already drawn down the money due to financial difficulties.

For a number of months, the GAA have received encouragement from Government officials to go ahead with their postponed inter-county programme.

Speaking last month, Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed his desire for the competitions to take place. Claiming that putting games behind closed doors ensured inter-county matches could take place, he said: “In taking the decision we did on the crowds we saved the championships and the leagues.

“We want the Championship to go ahead. I want an All-Ireland this year. I think it would be a symbol that a country is fighting this virus, that it's not going to surrender to it. And I'd love to see the Championship completed.”

However, with virtually no income since the middle of March, the Championship appeared to be in doubt until the GAA leadership spoke with county chairpersons last month.

At that virtual meeting, GAA director general Tom Ryan said centrally-sourced borrowings would be provided to county committees at the earliest opportunity “to assist in the running of their activities before Government funding is made available”.

As inter-county teams are officially permitted to return to training from Monday, that money is set to be distributed as GAA authorities sign off on loan applications.

Clare GAA treasurer Michael Gallagher, who in July warned the board could go bust if it didn’t rein in its spending on its inter-county teams, said the aid is essential. “If it doesn’t come in, we won’t survive and it’s simple as that,” he told the Irish Examiner. “I’d say I’m not the only one concerned.”

Last week, GAA director of finance Ger Mulryan warned provincial and county units that the financial supports being put in place by Croke Park this year will lead to “reduced capital, coaching and operational grants across all our units” in the years ahead.

It’s also expected the Association at central level as well as its provincial units will have to draw considerable amounts from their reserves in 2021.

Meanwhile, Covid guidelines pertaining to the actual staging of inter-county games will be released next month prior to the first games, the U20 All-Ireland football semi-finals, Round 6 of the Allianz Football League and lower league divisional hurling finals on the weekend of October 18.