GAA hails McManus' €32 million generosity

CONTINUED SUPPORT: Limerick manager John Kiely and businessman JP McManus after the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship final. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

The GAA have thanked Limerick GAA honorary president and long-time sponsor JP McManus, his wife Noreen and their family for their donation of €1 million to each county board.

The South Liberties man will follow up on his previous gesture of 2018 when he donated €100,000 to all 32 counties soon after Limerick ended a 45-year wait for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

The money is to be divided equally between clubs in the GAA, Ladies Gaelic Football Association and Camogie Association and it is the McManus family’s hope it is distributed to the units by the end of January.

Reacting to news of the sizeable donations - first reported by The  Irish Daily Mail on Thursday morning - a press release from GAA president Larry McCarthy and director general Tom Ryan read: “We would like to place on record our sincere gratitude to JP McManus and his family for yet another remarkable gesture of support.

"Clubs across the island benefitted greatly from the generosity of JP and his family in 2018, and we know that the funds were put to very good use at the time. His support of the GAA at many levels is well documented and our units will once again rejoice in the generosity of the McManus family and use the funds to assist in their hugely important work at the heart of communities.” 

Inspired by Limerick’s five All-Ireland senior hurling titles in the last six years, McManus wrote to county boards: "With Limerick's success in the GAA in recent years, we have seen the joy that this can bring on and off the field and how it enhances the spirit, camaraderie and confidence of communities, urban and rural.

"My family and I greatly value the spirit and meaning of community and our GAA, Camogie and Ladies Gaelic Football clubs who are at the heart of communities right throughout the island."

Meath secretary Ciarán Flynn acknowledged McManus’ gesture. 

“On behalf of the Meath GAA County Committee and all our members, I extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. McManus. His generosity will leave a lasting impact on GAA in Meath and across the nation.” 

LGFA President Mícheál Naughton remarked: "We all know how much JP loves Gaelic Games and this money will provide invaluable support to clubs at grassroots levels across the country."

Billionaire and Adare Manor owner McManus (72) has sponsored Limerick since 2005 and in 2022 total sponsorship of county teams including his family's support was recorded at €760,421. McManus' brother Gerry is a patron of Limerick GAA's academy.

In his annual report earlier this week, Limerick GAA secretary Mike O’Riordan thanked McManus for funding the team holiday to the Caribbean. 

“It would be remiss of me not to mention the most generous holiday provided to the Senior Hurlers, Mgt (management) and Officers along with their families to Sandy Lane in Barbados from our team sponsors JP & Noreen McManus and family. We are extremely grateful for this and for all the support this season.

“The Medals Presentation night at Adare Manor on December 1st was a wonderful occasion, again a huge word of thanks to the McManus Family for providing this at their world-class venue.” 

The Irish Examiner recently reported the horse-racing magnate’s Pro-Am in Adare Manor in July of last year raised an astonishing €141.7m for charitable causes in the Mid-West region. 

In 2004, McManus gifted €5m to the Limerick County Board to ease their Gaelic Grounds development debt.

Limerick’s recently-opened six-storey International Rugby Experience in O’Connell Street was also completely funded by McManus’ foundation, costing €30m.