Seven percent reduction in GAA team registrations from pre-Covid numbers  

FALL IN NUMBERS: Cork recorded a decrease of just 20 teams in the period. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

The GAA has experienced almost a 7% reduction in the number of team registrations from the pre-Covid year of 2019.

A total of 22,514 sides were signed up four years ago compared to 20,994 between October 2021 and September 2022, a drop of 1,519.

While Cork recorded a decrease of just 20 teams in that period, Dublin’s fall has been dramatic, over 31% from 2,394 in ‘19 to 1,631 last year. Their areas where they have suffered the biggest blows are in youth hurling (912 teams to 528) and youth football (1137 teams to 735).

Kerry’s team total dropped by over 150 teams in that timeframe (631 from 785, 19%), Tipperary 1349 to 1195 (11%), Clare 786 to 585 (25%) and Waterford 919 to 854 (8%). Limerick enjoyed an increase in teams from 936 to 975 (4%) as did Galway who went from 1068 to 1147 (over 6%).

Meath also suffered a hefty stumble from 1,031 teams to 862 (over 16%) as well as Donegal who have almost 100 teams less than they did in 2019, which represents a loss of over 15%.

In his 2022 annual report released last December, Dublin GAA chief executive John Costello hit out at the new coaching funding model which will see the county lose almost €450,000 per annum.

Costello wrote that as Dublin primarily invested the regular €1m-plus funding into young people he “was surprised and disappointed to be honest, that the new GAA model for funding for coaching and games development is based on registered male players from the age of 4 to 37 years of age. 

"This is a worrying shift in association policy that funding is now being targeted at the older age groups.” 

With the new system yet to kick in, Dublin last year received €1.086 million, almost as much as the four home provincial councils combined were provided in similar coaching and development funding (€1.037m). 

With €302,852, Meath were the next best county recipients followed by Antrim €293,514 and Kildare €282,262. Cork were given €196,250.

Cork have the largest number of teams in all six categories – adult football, adult hurling, U20/21 football, U20/U21 hurling, youth football and youth hurling – laid out by the GAA. Their total youth sides jumped from 2,041 in 2019 to 2,147 last year.

Behind Cork and Dublin in the top 10 total team registrations last year were Tipperary (1,195), Galway, Kildare (1,002), Limerick, Meath, Waterford, Wexford (818) and Mayo (680).