A CRY FOR HELP
Call for funds as sport reels from new restrictions
CONNACHT secretary John Prenty has called on the GAA to get a significant slice of the Government’s €40million support package that is to be split between the GAA, FAI and IRFU in the wake of yesterday’s decision that all sport must go behind closed doors.
He said counties need that extra finance sooner rather than later – or they won’t be in a position to fund any winter All-Ireland series that is due to start around the Halloween weekend of late October, early November.
But those winter championships are under increasing threat in light of the new restrictions which are a further blow to the three bodies who were already left in a financial bind by the previous 200-person sports event limit, particularly the GAA with county championships in full swing.
‘Our future depends on a significant amount of money coming to us from the Government,’ said Prenty in the wake of the latest restrictions. ‘And I think we deserve it from what the Association
has done the last number of months. Even since the lockdown came, with the way clubs have been looking after vulnerable people in their communities. I think we can be very proud of what they have done there. ‘Now that we are in a situation where we don’t know where we are going to be financially, if we’re going to have a championship with crowds, I think the Government is going to have to step up to the mark and help out the counties and the clubs and the provinces and Croke Park. Especially with the imminent return to collective inter-county training from September 14 and the costs associated with that for cash-strapped county boards. My understanding is that you have to have your application in some time in September and they hope to have a decision by the middle to the end of October. But that may be too late for some counties. There are big discussions to be held in the next two to three weeks.’ Meanwhile, Carlow have chosen Niall Carew as manager of the senior football squad. Kildare native Carew will bring former Dublin star Ger Brennan with him as coach and selector, and they will link up with Darren Leonard and Simon Rea, who had already been ratified as selectors for 2020.