ELECTION VICTORY FOR FITZPATRICK
FUNDRAISING - or the severe lack of it - was again the big talking point as Treasurer Aidan Berrill presented the GAA’s annual accounts to club delegates on Monday night.
‘Fundraising is abysmal,’ stressed the Naomh Mairtin man. ‘Compared to most clubs in the counties it’s very poor.’
Sean O’Mahony’s delegate Pat O’Brien certainly didn’t hold back in apportioning blame with regard to the paltry fundraising figure of €10,132.
‘I point the finger at the top table,’ he said. ‘We all have enough to be doing running our own clubs, we needed €60,000 to run our club this year.
‘There’s goodwill out there, but the people who put themselves forward for positions at the top table have to be told to drive it on, otherwise it just won’t be done.
‘Anyone who goes for a top job should be held accountable and they need to lead the way for a new stadium.’
But there was some good news in relation to the counties finances.
A surplus of €165,000 will be used to reduce the mortgage on the Darver Centre of Excellence.
The figure was up some €11,000 on last year’s surplus, albeit with both income and expenditure both down significantly on 2018 figures.
Club Championship gate receipts were down by around €10,000, despite the fact that the Junior Chamopionship final had to be replayed, while there was a 5% increase in county team preparation costs.
Mr Berrill said the land at Upper Marshes ear-marked for a new stadium was a welcome entry onto the balance sheet in 2019.
The site was shown as an asset of €695,000 representing the cost of the land and planning. Croke Park bore the brunt of those expenses with Louth providing around 10%.
Before concluding Mr Berrill, stressed the need to get behind the two-house draw and said the current level of fundraising just wouldn’t cut it.
‘Outside of Croke Park and Leinster grants, sponsorship and Championship gate receipts we have nothing coming in,’ he noted.