Peter McKenna: 'Lack of fans has been financially catastrophic' for the GAA

Having 40,000 at Sunday’s All-Ireland final is both a win for the occasion and for GAA coffers devastated by Covid restrictions on crowds. The GAA’s Commercial Director Peter McKenna addresses the issues ahead of the largest match gathering here since the pandemic changed our landscape utterly

Then GAA president John Horan at the All-Ireland hurling final between Limerick and Waterford at Croke Park in Dublin in December 2020. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The Black Swan of uncertainty which has overshadowed Irish sport for the past two GAA championships hasn’t gone away.

Its slow and tardy retreat, is however, revealing greater levels of optimism than even those with the most vested interests thought possible in the dark days of last January.