Club costs will soon rival inter-county

CLUB COSTS: The costs of running club teams will soon rival the escalating expenditure on inter-county set-ups, Tyrone Central Council delegate Benny Hurl has claimed. Pic: ©INPHO/Andrew Paton

The costs of running club teams will soon rival the escalating expenditure on inter-county set-ups, Tyrone Central Council delegate Benny Hurl has claimed.

Responding to GAA director general Tom Ryan’s report at Congress in Newry, Hurl warned that more clubs are replicating the high performance environments at inter-county level where €40 million was spent in 2023.

Hurl reiterated the “runaway train” analogy and argued the GAA “haven’t tried to stop” the spending. “We keep shovelling coal into the burners to feed it.” He added that integration as is hoped for by 2027 is only going to put further strain on GAA resources.

Former GAA president Nickey Brennan asked the management committee to give more consideration to elderly supporters in the availability of tickets, which are now only available online or via SuperValu and Centra outlets. “They might be going to games with a walking stick but they are still entitled to respect,” stressed Brennan, an Age Friendly ambassador in Kilkenny.

Brennan also spoke about the difficulties older people have found in accessing the GAAGO platform, a service which he commended. His comments about making tickets more accessible were echoed by Clare’s Robert Frost.

Former GAA president Seán Kelly spoke about how “horrible” it is for teams to lose on penalties as part of the winner of the day stipulation now attached to the vast majority of senior championship games. He suggested a replay be allowed if both teams are agreeable.

Kelly also commended the recent €32 million donation made by the McManus family to clubs on the island of Ireland and claimed criticism of it from outside the GAA was “probably begrudgery”.

In the trustee vote, former Cork chairperson Tracey Kennedy defeated New York’s Joan Henchy for the female vote (140 to 125), while former Connacht chair John Murphy of Sligo beat Cavan’s Tom Reilly (147 to 118).

The ballot was split into female and male as part of the GAA’s commitment to striking a 40% gender balance on management committee. Killeagh woman Kennedy and Murphy of Tubbercurry replace outgoing trustees John Joe Carroll (Kerry) and Ned Quinn (Kilkenny).

Elsewhere, Jack O’Connor will be free to line out for Wexford in Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A clash with Clare after his red card against Offaly earlier this month was rescinded.

Referee Seán Stack dismissed substitute O’Connor in the second half of the game in Chadwicks Wexford Park for “behaving in any way which is dangerous to an opponent” when he clashed with David King. The Central Hearing Committee (CHC) determined the infraction was unproven.

Kildare midfielder Kevin O’Callaghan also challenged his red card in last Sunday’s AFL Division 2 defeat to Armagh in Netwatch Cullen Park last Sunday. However, the CHC upheld his dismissal and a one-match ban was issued. He misses Sunday’s Round 4 clash against Meath in Páirc Tailteann.