'Everybody sees the opportunity' — New Shels CEO Quinn on Tolka, gains and €1m losses

Six weeks into his role at the helm of the league champions, former Dublin GAA player and staffer has his hands full but relishes task

Thu, 22 May, 2025 - 23:00

John Fallon

It’s 25 minutes into a discussion with Shelbourne’s new chief executive before the name of Damien Duff arises.

Mossy Quinn – former All-Ireland winner with Dublin GAA – has an in-tray that eclipses even the League of Ireland’s most recognisable figurehead.

He’s six weeks into a job he accepted after aligning with the vision outlined by co-owners Neil and Cathal Doyle.

Quinn can distinguish from his job as commercial manager of Dublin GAA what constitutes investment and knows cash from the tech entrepreneurs will take many years to accrue a return.

Three successive years of €1m losses aren’t expected to be bucked in 2025 despite the looming windfall of Champions League entry earned by Duff overseeing a first title for 18 years.

“It’s a huge challenge to do that,” admits Quinn about the dependence on benevolence of owners, including sports broadcasting giant Mickey O’Rourke. “That's something we will learn in time and we have a plan to start reducing that.

“It’s not good enough for me to come in and say: ‘we lost a million last year, we can lose a million this year.’ There is no quick fix, no simple solution. It will take putting structures in place and a lot of hard work but that is one of the things that appealed to me about the challenge that goes with the role.

“Unless the intent or purpose was the same as what I see, then it would have been very hard for me to accept the role.

“I know there have been other ownership models at Shelbourne in the past but I don’t anticipate change in the short-term. Everybody sees the opportunity here.”

Ultimate sustainability hinges on facilities. One half of that task was resolved this week when a long-term lease was signed to develop the AUL training centre but Tolka Park represents the most expensive project on Quinn’s agenda.

A supporters drive to disentangle from ground-sharing at the rebuilt Dalymount Park was successful but the ‘Save Tolka Park’ campaign will only bear fruit if the quaint but decaying venue is modernised.

Incremental, rather than radical, works are scheduled. As Quinn was talking on Thursday, a crane was working on the roof of a stand that has been deemed unsafe for several years. Ironically, it was the newest built of the stands but declared a fire hazard.

There could be up to another year of waiting before that area, housing 850 seats, is safe to be reopened. Of the current 5,700 capacity, just under half are accounted for by season-ticket holders. There’s been certain matches over the past year when demand led to fans being turned away.

Some cosmetic improvements are required before Uefa issues a green-light but the plan is for the first round of Champions League action to be staged at Tolka in early July. Progression beyond that may lead to the requirement for Tallaght Stadium to be rented for compliance purposes.

“There’s no agreed long-term plan for Tolka yet,” he said about the potential for overhauling the venue. “The obvious thing is funding. There’s the ongoing cost of running a club and then the investment needed for Tolka Park - arguably two separate things.

“There’s a brilliant buzz around the club and great energy around the league. Now we’ve to start moving from short-term operations, like sponsorship, to multi-year like the contracts we’ve agreed with players in recent years.

“I’ve six weeks in at this stage and I said to someone that the best way I can describe it is that I haven’t driven home any day saying ‘Jesus, what am I after doing?’. I’m really enjoying it so far.”