Galway club calls on Leinster to give county €2m funding
Galway’s manager Henry Shefflin before the 2023 Leinster SHC clash with Kilkenny at Nowlan Park PIC ©INPHO/James Crombie
Salthill-Knocknacarra are putting forward a motion to the upcoming Galway convention calling on the Leinster Council to provide the county with at least €2 million in development funding over the next five years.
They are appealing to other clubs to support their proposal to amend the GAA Official Guide so that Galway are proportionately remunerated for their contribution to the province’s senior hurling championship.
According to an email issued by Salthill-Knocknacarra secretary David Burke, it is time for Galway to receive some of the close to €8m Leinster distributes between its counties. Part of the Leinster SHC since 2009, Galway are not entitled to any such fundings “despite of our significant role in generating gate receipts on annual basis for this provincial council due to our participation in Leinster GAA Hurling Championship”.
It is pointed out that Connacht distribute just over €1.8m in contrast and “Galway GAA’s participation in the Leinster GAA competition has a greater frequency of games and higher gate receipts.”
The circular continues: “We estimate that if Galway were treated on a proportionate and fair basis to the other counties generating gate receipts for Leinster GAA Council and addressing the clear legacy underfunding issue by this province, Galway GAA would receive a minimum of €400k per annum or €2 million over the next 5 year period.”
By Salthill-Knocknacarra’s calculations, clubs in Galway are in receipt of €3,478 per annum for a six-month period via the club development officers scheme, while those in Dublin receive annual funding totalling €22,000 per annum towards coaches.
“This imbalance is manifestly unfair and is compounded in the unfair allocation of funding Galway GAA received in the period from 2008 to 2020 from Croke Park on a national basis to each county.”
Salthill-Knocknacarra also take issue with how Galway’s share of the national coaching funding in the GAA between 2007 and ‘20 represents €5 per head of population, the second lowest behind Cork, and contrasts with Dublin’s €15 per had of population.
The club highlights the stalled new national coaching model – “such funding still has not been directly passed to Clubs in Galway in any form” – and questions why based on “gross underfunding” from 2008 to ’20 that Galway hasn’t received a deduction on its debts owed to Croke Park like Dublin in the early 2000s when it ran into difficulties with developing Parnell Park.
“Why can’t the same treatment be afforded to Galway GAA in the context of our clear underfunding for both National and Provincial funding in terms of Games and Coaching funding over a long period? Galway GAA and our clubs should be treated fairly and on an equitable basis.”
