2019 COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Treasurer calls for fundraising push
LOUTH Treasurer Aidan Berill urged the county management committee to show real leadership to reverse a ‘hugely disappointing’ trend in the area of fundraising at last Tuesday’s annual convention.
Mr Berrill reported on an excellent financial year overall, revealing a surplus of over €153,000, but a fundraising return of just over €11,000 was arguably the stand-out figure in the annual accounts.
The Treasurer is currently spearheading a committee charged with building a new county grounds in Dundalk Pictures: Aidan Dullaghan/Newspics and he warned delegates:
‘Fundraising was again hugely disappointing. If we want to take the extra step as a county funds need to be raised. We can’t continually rely on Croke Park and Leinster Council and I urge the management committee to show real leadership and reverse this trend.’
All that said, Mr Berrill’s 10th year in charge of the county coffers was another productive one. A particularly pleasing aspect was club championship gate receipts, which were up by around €8,000 despite not a single replay taking place across any of the three football grades.
The Naomh Mairtin clubman also revealed reduced inter-county team expenses and hit out at an ‘unaffordable’ 2016 gear entitlement charter, stating the county ‘cut its cloth’ in 2018 and substantially reduced inter-county expenses as a result.
At the current rate of repayments, the mortgage on the Darver Centre of Excellence will be paid off in seven years.
The €153,000 surplus increases the accumulated fund to €722,000, which Mr Berrill said would ‘reflect well at HQ for the future development of a new county ground.’
Mr Berill praised the investment and development clubs have made on their own grounds, noting that 27 clubs had floodlights and a large number had developed a second pitch and that in most cases the local GAA club was the centre of the local community. With a council vote due to take place to approve the sale of council land to the county board for a new stadium, he urged local councillors to recognise the trojan work clubs do in their communities and unanimously approve the sale.
Chairperson Vice-chairperson