Dublin GAA CEO hits back in funding row

John Costello has challenged claims made by John Connellan regarding the finances of the Dublin county board and clubs.

Dublin CEO John Costello has fired a broadside at former Westmeath footballer John Connellan. 

Connellan produced a document entitled: "Fair and Equal Funding for all GAA clubs - Addressing the Dublin GAA imbalance" where he questioned the finance being made available to the county. 

However, the Dublin chief executive has hit back in his report to the annual convention where he also revealed that "the majority of clubs in Dublin have substantial debts" and were not in "rude financial health" as had been claimed. 

Costello wrote: "There seems to be some information deficit issues with regard to large sections of his, and other publications. It would be remiss of me not to address them here, not to do so would possibly lead to some cognitive bias on the subjective matter."

Connellan believes the “disproportionate level of funding” provided to Dublin in games development has to be tackled and is suggesting a new structure be formulated based on the number of registered GAA members per county

But Costello countered that: "the role of the Games Promotion Officer is to work intensively with local schools and clubs by providing coaching and skill development initiatives appropriate to the age and ability of the various playing groups. 

"It is also to provide a programme of courses and workshops appropriate to the requirements of students and club volunteers to assist them to fulfil their various coaching functions with juvenile teams. The Games Promotion Officers are not some crack team akin to Eastern Bloc coaches who hot-house young players and turn them into All-Ireland winners!

"The claim is made that many clubs in Dublin are in rude financial health - having in excess of €100k on deposit and maintaining cash reserves - and are therefore capable of financial independence.

"The truth, however, is that the majority of clubs in Dublin have substantial debts arising from the development of their sporting facilities to cater for their membership by the provision of all-weather playing surfaces, floodlighting, dressing-rooms, ball walls, walking tracks, halls etc. enjoyed by all the community.

"These have all been constructed with the aid of fund-raising, bank loans, sports capital programme (SCP) and GAA grants. From time to time some clubs, a significant minority of our 90-plus clubs, have funds in excess of €100k but this is their fund-raising for these projects. It is also a condition of the SCP that a significant level of own funding is required to access grants and the level of own funding required varies, depending on your location in the Pobal Deprivation Index.

"Next up ... a Parnell Park 'bail-out'. There was no bail-out for the development of Parnell Park.

"Loans were obtained from both the Central and Leinster Councils with a structured repayment schedule.

"And onto .... Dublin GAA avoided incurring further debt in developing a local stadium by effectively using Croke Park as its local stadium. Parnell Park is sufficient for local games.

"Croke Park is rented for games played in the National League. We use the league to promote Gaelic games in the capital and encourage juvenile and family groups to attend which is not possible due to the reduced capacity in Parnell Park.

"To develop a 30,000 capacity stadium in Dublin would conservatively require 25 acres. All land in Dublin has development potential. Currently, there is 27 acres of developed land in Clongriffin advertised at €50m. In 2019, KPMG Football Benchmark published a report on the construction cost of 30 stadiums in the UEFA confederation during the previous five years.

"When the top 10 stadia with the lowest development costs were analysed, the average cost per seat was €1,800 giving a projected cost of €54m. That would make a total cost of €104m - and a soccer pitch is roughly half the size of a Gaelic games pitch in terms of square meterage! And that's before you look at the recent history in this country of the development and cost overruns of large sporting grounds/hospitals etc.

"On the subject of Dublin's use of Croke Park - Dublin's first NFL game was played there in the 1925/25 season - we did not begin playing games there as part of our 'Spring Series' marketing of the game in the capital in 2011. For the record, the result of that match on 18th October 1925 was Dublin 0-9, Meath 0-2.

"From the 1920s up until the mid-1990s, Dublin rented Croke Park for their home games with a few exceptions. Following the redevelopment of Parnell Park, we then played our games at the Donnycarney venue. However, with a view to the promotion of our games at a much needed time, we sought to rent GAA headquarters from 2011 onwards having played there occasionally in 2003 (v Armagh), 2007 (v Tyrone), and 2009 (v Tyrone).

"The statement was also made that the advantages conferred on Dublin GAA clubs enables clubs in the capital and indeed, the county, compete far better in the retention of its key players, citing how few Dublin footballers pursue a career in Australian Rules.

"I don't know why contain the debate to just one sport - Australian Rules - but here is an incomplete list of players who were, in recent years, part of Dublin underage development squads but elected to follow a semi-professional/professional career path. Some have returned to play Gaelic games. Seán Bohan, Cian Bolger, Dan Casey, Colm Deasy, Danny Devine, Richie English, Dara O’Shea, Lee Steacy, James Talbot, Jack Tuite (all soccer), Niall Comerford, David Hawkshaw, Conor McKeon (all rugby) and James Madden (Australian Rules).

"They are only some of the players while others are lost to the club game also - take a Kilmacud Crokes U16 football team of recent times. By the time that team had moved from U16 to minor, the following players were following the rugby pathway - Eoin Barr, Niall Brady, Niall Murray, Scott Penny and Rob Russell.

"John Connellan's document also contains the statement that Dublin GAA had recorded a €2.7m profit in their "last accounts". Now this one is a right head-scratcher! Nevertheless, it was widely reported in the media and online with feverish enthusiasm - without carrying out the first principle of journalism - check your facts!

"In 2020, Dublin GAA recorded a deficit of €172, 847. If the figure Mr. Connellan was referring to was (pre-Covid) i.e. 2019 Dublin GAA recorded a profit of €718, 561 which was the largest we ever recorded. "

The Dublin GAA Convention will take place on Monday, December 13.