Sligo GAA posts a surplus for 2023
Income increases but costs rose for County Board in the last year
DRP CREW: The Smith family, synonymous with DrumcliffeRosses Point (DRP) GAA, were in attendance at last Friday’s Sligo GAA medal presentation to this year’s successful senior and U-20 teams. Eoghan Smith was part of the Sligo panel that won the AFL Division Four title and his younger brother, Ciaran, was on the Sligo U-20 squad that won provincial honours and reached the All-Ireland final. Loretto, Eoghan, Ciaran, Rianne and Jimmy Smith.
Sean Carroll (chairperson and also Hurling Board chairperson), Noel Gallagher (vice chairperson), Deirdre Gethins (secretary), Mary Finn (assistant secretary), Cormac Kearns (treasurer), Declan Rouse (assistant treasurer), Padraig McKeon (public relations officer), Peadar Niland (coaching officer), Sean Reynolds (chairperson, Cóiste na nÓg), Sarah McNamara (children’s officer), Declan Bruen (planning & training officer), Richard Brennan
(safety & facilities officer), Joe Brady (Irish & cultural officer), Joan Mullen (demographics officer), Joe Taaffe (GAA Central Council delegate), Padraig Clancy
going into the coffers compared to the 2022 amount of €80,415. Funds received from Sport Ireland came to €202,827.
There was a decrease in revenue from Sligo GAA’s livestreaming service, SligoGAATV.ie – last year it brought in €17,274 but this year’s figure was €14,704, a fall of €2,570. In terms of expenditure, team expenses (which covers Sligo GAA’s inter-county teams) was up by €14,728 compared to last year – from €824,347 (2022) to €839,075 (2023). But last year’s amount, €824,347, included €101,941 – the costs of the New York (Connacht GAA Council delegate), Dermot Gannon (Connacht GAA Council delegate).
Declan Rouse of Enniscrone-Kilglass GAA Club is the County Board’s new assistant treasurer, replacing David Cummins. Rouse beat Johnny Waters (St Molaise Gaels) in a vote, winning 52-18, in what was the night’s only contest.
Noel Gallagher is taking on the role of vice chairperson (he takes over from the aforementioned Declan Rouse, who had to leave the vice chairperson’s seat having completed five years).
The County Board’s first-ever demographics officer is Joan Mullen from Owenmore Gaels.
trip (for a Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship quarter-final). Over half (55%) of Sligo GAA’s expenditure goes to the preparation of its county teams.
There was no New York game for Sligo’s senior Gaelic footballers this year but the senior team did reach a provincial final, contested the Allianz Football League Division Four final at Croke Park and competed in the group stage of the Sam Maguire Cup (GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship).
Sligo’s seniors played 14 competitive games last year, including that fixture in New York, and had 15 games across four competitions this year.
There was a productive campaign for the Sligo U-20s – they retained the provincial title and were All-Ireland finalists, progress which added another necessary layer to overall expenditure.
Team expenses includes catering, players’ travel and accommodation expenses, medical and physiotheraphy expenses, gym and pitch hire as well as sportsgear and equipment. There was a reduction in catering costs (€14,009) as well as players’ travel and accommodation expenses (€32,304) but this is offset by the €46,339 jump in team administration expenses, from the 2022 figure of €227,887 to this year’s €274,226. Medical and physiotheraphy costs are almost unchanged (€61,549 last year to €60,314 this year) and there was a €1,436 increase in the costs of gym and pitch hire.
Meanwhile, repairs and maintenance costs at Markievicz Park and the Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence, Scarden, rose from €61,792 last year to this year’s total of €78,046. Work at the Markievicz Park facilities meant an increase of €24,215.
Match day operating costs went up, too, from €16,994 (2022) to €63,118. Sligo GAA’s fundraising includes sponsorship, which is up from €136,710 to €153,524, commercial income, which also increased (from €59,388 to €102,943), and Club Sligo – this fundraising initiative delivered €153,697 compared to last year’s €80,415.
Last year Sligo GAA generated €81,824 to offset the trip to New York – even with this not a requirement this year, commercial and fundraising income still increased.
Sligo GAA are still servicing longterm debts due to the development of the Centre of Excellence at Scarden. Although the 10-year loan with Allied Irish Bank is due to be repaid next year, there are still outstanding loans owed to Connacht GAA Council and GAA’s Central Council. The total debt now stands at €334,000. The annual repayments (for all three loans) are approximately €126,000. The Connacht Council loan is scheduled to be repaid by 2028 and the loan to Central Council a year later.
County Board treasurer Cormac Kearns from Shamrock Gaels GAA Club, presented his report to the annual convention, which took place on Tuesday night
at the Clayton Hotel.
LOOKING AFTER THE COFFERS: County Board treasurer Cormac Kearns,