Tipperary will build GAA future on six pillars, says CEO Murtagh Brennan
Tipperary celebrate after claiming the Liam MacCarthy cup at Croke Park. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
A state-of-the-art centre of excellence in Coolmore Dr Morris Park is the most ambitious objective in Tipperary’s new five-year strategic plan (2026-30), says county chief executive Murtagh Brennan.
Launched in Nenagh on Thursday evening, the document addresses concerns about growing costs, a deficit in facilities and a need for stringent governance of all operations management.
The six focus areas include participation, funding and facilities and the expansion from three to six pitches at their training grounds adjacent to FBD Semple Stadium is a key goal.
“When people look at this plan, straightaway their eyes turn to infrastructure,” Brennan told the . “One of the most ambitious elements of our strategic plan is a vision to develop a new centre of excellence for Tipperary GAA.
“This is not simply about constructing a building, really: it's about investing in the future of the Gaelic games in Tipperary and creating an environment where our players, coaches, volunteers and staff have access to facilities that match their commitment and ambition.
“This will be more than just bricks and mortar. It will be a place where our players can learn, develop and reach their potential. It will provide our coaches and support teams with the best possible environment to help our athletes succeed while also creating a central hub where everyone in Tipperary GAA feels connected to the shared vision.”
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Brennan says the six pillars of the plan – Clubs and Communities; Coaching and Games Development; Participation and Retention; Facilities; Governance, Structure and Operations and Funding – were chosen as they are intrinsically linked to one another.
“Strong clubs are at the heart of the GAA. Well-defined player and coach pathways ensure that players and coaches can reach potential. Quality facilities provide environments which our games can flourish in.
“Good governance gives confidence to our members to ensure that we operate at the highest standards. And sustainable funding provides the resources needed to support all of these ambitions.
“This strategy is not intended to sit on a shelf; it's designed to be a living document that guides the decisions that we make over the next five years. It provides clarity about our priorities and ensures accountability for delivery and allows us to measure our progress along the way.
“If by 2030 our clubs are stronger, participation has increased, our coaching structures have improved, our governance is stronger, our facilities have developed and we've secured a more sustainable funding future, then the strategy will have achieved its purpose.”
In their All-Ireland SHC winning year, Tipperary spent €2.483 million on team administration, more than any other county. The county are looking to augment their funding model.
“Funding is a critical pillar of the Tipperary’s strategic plan because without a strong, sustainable financial base, none of our ambitions across facilities and performance pathways or development structures can be delivered.
“We have now established the financial advisory council to lead the financial strategy in partnership with the Tipperary County Board. That'll break into subcommittees, which will be the fundraising events and also team expenditure and we will create a consolidated, comprehensive five-year financial plan that will include guiding funding models for infrastructural builds, like a centre of excellence, and also the assistance and refurbishment of FBD Semple Stadium.”
A possible change in the diverse ownership structure of the Thurles venue, which requires approximately €10m in upkeep work, is an ongoing discussion. “It’s our home of hurling, and it's one of the more revered stadiums in the country. You can see the magnitude of the games that we get, so we're fully committed to ensuring that Semple Stadium is maintained to the highest quality.
“In terms of the management and running and ownership model, we're currently consulting with Croke Park, so I don't want to disclose anything until that's decided.”
Tipperary GAA remains committed to retaining its dual identity, Brennan insists. “We’re running a certified coaching course in conjunction with Setanta and Tipperary GAA are subsidising these courses for all clubs who want to send in potential coaches to be qualified in applied athletic performance. These people go back to their clubs and they would coach hurling and football.”
Integration is a major consideration in the plan from Coolmore Dr Morris Park to clubs. “It's about equality of opportunity and making the best use of our resources.
“One of the reasons the centre of excellence is such an important priority is that we know the demand in the county facilities will increase significantly. One of the main pinch-points in terms of integration is facilities. It’s been a pinch-point in the GAA on its own before integration.
“In the plan. we've also made a commitment to set a target of 10 clubs per year to move to the One Club model. We're pretty much aware when integration does come into effect, we have to be ready for it. We're future-proofing Tipperary GAA.”
Brennan doesn’t prioritise any pillar over another but it’s obvious everything spawns from the club. “Everything is predicated on having strong, resilient clubs. Without good, proper structures and governance within our clubs, everything else is nothing. We can't move from that.”
The plan is not like Dublin’s 2011 'Blue Wave' strategy and does not announce bold goals for the county’s senior teams. “Our one is focusing on the processes, making them more resilient. When we get all that right, then the outcomes will look after themselves, please God.”
Tipperary GAA’s five-year strategic plan (2026-30) has six pillars: Club and Communities; Coaching and Games Development; Participation and Retention; Facilities; Governance, Structure and Operations and Funding.
Under the guidance of two-time All-Ireland SHC winning manager Liam Sheedy (Portroe), a director at Consello, the global advisory and funding platform, the specific plans were produced by Laurenz Egan (Moycarkey-Borris); Tommy Dunne (Toomevara); Conor O’Brien (Éire Óg Annacarty); Paudie Comerford (Holycross-Ballycahill) and Tom Flanagan (Moycarkey-Borris); Joe McGrath (Nenagh Éire Óg) and PJ Flanagan (Moycarkey-Borris).
- Transform Coolmore Dr Morris Park into a centre of excellence for all inter-county teams across the male and female codes including three new sand-based pitches;
- Set up an overarching financial advisory council;
- Establish Tipperary senior football and hurling development squads;
- Recruit a minimum 5% of referees per annum;
- Create a coaching network across clubs local and on a county basis;
- Appoint a head of athletic co-ordination by 2029;
- Engage with Munster GAA and Central Council to securing funding for a new operational model for FBD Semple Stadium.
Tipperary GAA, LGFA and CA club members: 27,439 (4,131 male adult players, 1,798 female adult players)
Tipperary GAA, LGFA and CA teams: 1,240
Total pitches: 209 (116 full-sized and 35 floodlit).
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