Galway GAA vow to continue spending big on county teams

Galway GAA chairman Paul Bellew paid tribute to all the people who organise and support fundraising activity and said that while generating income is a difficult task, they continue to push the boundaries.

€1,053,315 was spent on Galway's three inter-county hurling teams in 2025. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Galway GAA chairman Paul Bellew said that a spend of over €2.3m on county teams in 2025 is sustainable and they will continue to invest in teams representing the maroon and white.

Bellew paid tribute to all the people who organise and support fundraising activity and said that while generating income is a difficult task, they continue to push the boundaries and that a surplus of over half a million euro was recorded on income of over €5.7m.

This brings an overall surplus of just over €2m in total over the past four years after years of turmoil prior to that.

“There is stability now with Galway finances and a surplus of half a million this year can be repeated again next year. We need that to continue so that we can invest in our structures and ensure that teams representing Galway are given every support.

“Those sort of figures are not achieved without enormous effort and good structures and I want to acknowledge and thank all of the people involved,” he said.

The headline expenditure figure is over €2.3m being spent on the six teams representing the county at minor, U-20 and senior levels in hurling and football, with €1,271,712 (54%) being spent on the football teams and €1,053,315 (46%) on the three hurling teams.

The Galway senior footballers expenditure amounted to €1,085,478 with €802,629 on the senior hurling team. A total of €113,630 was spent on the U-20 football team and €141,057 on the hurling team in that grade.

At minor level, €72,604 was spent on football and €109,629 on hurling.

In percentage terms, 47% of the expenditure on county teams was spent on the senior footballers, 35% on the senior hurlers, 6% and 5% on the U-20 and minor hurling respectively, and 5% and 2% at U-20 and minor football.

The trend is similar to other years with the senior football team costing more than the senior hurling team. Last year €1,331,378 was spent on the footballers when they reached the All-Ireland final, there was €1,065,574 the previous year and €925,883 in 2022.

In hurling, €824,097 was spent on the senior team in 2024, €932,361 the year before and €767,214 in 2022.