Secretary Mark Donegan wrote to clubs to inform them that he and Treasurer Pat Hand would “step down from the day-to-day running of the league once the final round of fixtures is completed prior to Christmas.

“The Christmas break from 9th December provides the opportunity to facilitate an orderly handover as it provides the clubs with time to select a new committee and decide the re-commencement date for 2024,” read the statement.

The resignations follow details that the league had hundreds of thousands of euro worth of assets transferred into a holding company. 

The purpose of the new entity was primarily to fund a separate League of Ireland underage commercial franchise operation, Klub Kildare, which was effectively being financed by grassroots clubs from across Kildare, Laois and Offaly.

Clubs are incensed that the new company has also taken control of a €350k sports capital and equipment programme grant (SCEP) which had originally been applied for grassroots activities, but has since been effectively handed over to Klub Kildare.

However, in a pointed reference to the SCEP money, and its funding of a site at Killashee Hotel in Naas, Mr Donegan continued to insist that the contentious incorporation of all KDUL assets was a necessary move.

“As previously explained a legal entity had to be set up in order to legally secure/sign a 35-year lease for the benefit of all - this then enabled the Sports Capital Grant to be drawn down before it was lost,” continued the letter to all club secretaries.

“It is also important to emphasise that the type of legal entity selected is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) which will effectively keep all assets in trust for the league (ie these assets cannot be taken away).” 

This appears to warn clubs that the land and facility for which Government funding has been drawn down, will not be given back to the control of Clubs – something which will see this matter develop in the coming weeks.

The statement ends with the possibility of a resolution being sought through the FAI, which has so far failed to involve itself in the situation.

“We have requested the intervention of the FAI in this regard and hope to meet them shortly,” said Mr Donegan.

“This intervention, hopefully, can facilitate discussions with the clubs to decide on the future membership of the (company) and the relationships between the various elements (including the possibility of Klub Kildare as a separate entity).”