THANKS A ( €3.2 ) MILLION JP
CHRISTMAS has come three months early for GAA clubs all over Ireland with JP Mcmanus boosting their collective coffers to the tune of €3.2m.
The unprecedented gesture comes in the wake of the businessman’s native Limerick bridging the 45-year gap to their last All-ireland hurling title last month after a famous onepoint win over Galway.
Mcmanus, who has a strong association with horse racing and will hold his prestigious proam golf event in Adare Manor again next year, has been a long-time supporter and sponsor of Limerick GAA teams and was feted in the winning dressing room following the final.
Limerick’s success appears to have been the catalyst for the donation, with €100,000 going to each county with the money to be divided evenly among the clubs within, according to written correspondence which each county board received from Mcmanus yesterday.
That means there will be much more for some clubs than others. Fermanagh has the fewest affiliated clubs of any county with just 22, meaning that each club is in line to receive €4,545.
Cork has by far the most but the figures are open to interpretation. There are approximately 167 clubs on Leeside though many of them have a dual affiliation (one each in hurling and football) which swells the number by another 100 or so.
It remains to be seen how the Cork county board will distribute the money though in most other counties it’s reasonably straightforward.
There are 24 in Longford, the second smallest number along with Leitrim, and county secretary Peter O’reilly described Mcmanus’s gesture as “unreal”.
“In our place we have only 24 clubs so that’s a sizeable amount of money for each club,” he said.
“It’s a nice windfall for every club. It’s a very good gesture on behalf of JP and his family.
“Most clubs, with the odd exception, are crying out for funds for this, that and the other and this will be a welcome release to them.
“I know a lot of the clubs in Longford would have invested heavily in facilities in the last 10 years or so and they would all have bank loans and that to be paid off. I’m sure this will go towards that.” O’reilly explained that the money will be gratefully received in his own club, Abbeylara.
“We did do a big development, we opened it about nine years ago and there is remnants of a loan left on it and they’re trying to improve the facility again.
“They have installed a walking track and they’re talking about putting in lights on it for the greater benefit of the community. I’m sure this will be a help towards that.
“We have an amalgamation with St Columba’s, Mullinalaghta at underage level and we’re two very rural parishes and I’m sure some of that will go to strengthen the links here as well.”
He added: “I’ve never met the gentleman in my life. I’ve seen him in the distance in Croke Park and such places. It’s a magnanimous gesture on his behalf to give this out to counties who he would have had no dealings with. It’s unreal.”
‘Most clubs, with the odd exception, are crying out for funds. This will be a welcome release’