Roscommon regain control of finances
ROSCOMMON County Board have been handed back control of their finances by Croke Park. In what represented the final step in a remarkable turnaround from the financial crisis it found itself in four years ago, it has emerged the interim finance committee appointed by Croke Park was being stood down. Roscommon were in such difficulty in 2017 that GAA headquarters had to step in when it emerged they were unable to meet creditor bills of €550,000. The interim finance board, chaired by John Murphy, was charged with controlling expenditure, but it has been the fundraising power of Club Rossie that has played a key role in turning around the board’s finances. Two draws for properties in Dublin and London in 2018 and 2019 yielded in excess of €1.8M, taking up the bulk of the €2.1m the group has raised for Roscommon GAA. Having regained control of their finances, the board is to prioritise upgrading facilities at Dr Hyde Park, while developing the Dermot Earley Centre of Excellence at Runnabracken, just outside Roscommon Town. County treasurer David O’Connor paid tribute to those who played a key role in hauling Roscommon back from the financial cliff edge. He said: ‘We have terrific supporters, are blessed with two wonderful main sponsors in Seán Mulryan and Tom Hunt and with Club Rossie going from strength to strength each year, the future looks bright.’ And Roscommon chairman Brian Carroll warned that the board must ensure it learns it lessons from the past. ‘We must now ensure that our financial situation stays in a healthy state while continuing to progress the GAA in Roscommon, both on and off the field. ‘Hopefully, before long, we will see all our players back on the pitch and our supporters at games,’ said Carroll.