DUBLIN GOING TO BECOME A MONSTER
DOUBLE All-Ireland winner Gerry McEntee has urged the Meath County Board to look for funding from the Irish Sports Council in proportion to the financial support offered to Dublin GAA.
From a starting figure of €1million that was ring-fenced for Dublin GAA by the government back in 2005, the Irish Sports Council’s contribution is now €643,837, which goes towards paying the network of Games Development Officers employed by clubs.
McEntee made a presentation at a recent underage development meeting in Meath where he said: ‘Meath now need to go to the Irish Sports Council and ask for a proportionate amount.’
The All-Ireland winning midfielder with Meath in 1987 and ’88 is now heavily involved in St Brigid’s in Dublin and urged clubs in his native county to mirror the metropolitans’ blueprint for success in terms of employing Games Development Officers.
St Patrick’s in Stamullen, Co Meath have already led the way by doing just that and advertising for a part-time Games Development Officer.
Chairman Anthony Woods explains why. ‘We were starting to lose players at minor and under-21. We’re up against huge competition from rugby.
‘Where we are, there are no soccer clubs pulling out of Stamullen but three rugby clubs – Skerries, Balbriggan and Boyne. I felt we had to do something.’
The new position consists of 20 hours a week and will be fully funded by the club itself, at least initially, with one eye on what is happening across the border.
‘We’re funding it for a year ourselves and we’ll see how it goes. I want this to succeed. We’re looking at it as a threeyear project starting off.
‘If you look at the sponsorship Dublin have with AIG providing millions, the worry is that Dublin are going to become a monster.
They’re going to become the Man United of Gaelic football with nobody able to touch them.’