Rising costs are placing a 'significant strain' on finances in Tipperary GAA according to CEO

“The ever-rising costs associated with all intercounty teams is placing a significant strain on the County Board to meet its operational commitments,” according to Tipperary County Board CEO Murtagh Brennan who highlighted the major efforts that will be required to compete at the highest level going forward in the coming years.

Reading from his Secretary’s Report during the County Convention, the Loughmore Castleiney native admitted his first year was very much a “transitional” one, and he was learning and understanding the dynamics and challenges facing the county going forward.

Stark figures were on show for all those in attendance at the convention on Saturday night, with the team costs for 2023 outstripping the previous year by 27 percent, with the final figure coming in at €1,797,274 for the season which represented a rise in costs of €385, 525 on 2022.

Increases occurred elsewhere too in 2023 with the upkeep on county grounds and training facilities increasing by 13 percent in 2022, administrative expenses also going up significantly by a whopping 30 percent, along with a 10 percent increase in coaching and games development costs.

Reasons such as increased inflation nationally and the current ongoing redevelopment of Dr Morris Park, along with the introduction of the Tailteann Cup, but Tipperary GAA Treasurer Eleanor Lahart left no doubting the need for funds to be raised when she said that team costs are expected to rise further in 2024 as it is forecasted that it will cost the county board just shy of €2.2 million to facilitate the county teams activities next year.

She also went on to say that the proceeds from the County Board draw would need to go towards financing the running of the County Board in 2024, stating that €100,000 was needed to do so.

There was some positive feedback from the report with the grants and promotional revenue rising by 57 percent on the year previous, while gate receipts for the year were also on the up, showing an increase of 20 percent, while the tap-and-go system in operation at grounds throughout the year also increasing by 10 percent.

As already mentioned, the refurbishment of Dr Morris Park continues to drain the coffers of the County Board with much of the use of the capital grants obtained going toward the facility with an increase in spending on the venture increasing substantially in 2023 with €612,324 spent so far.

However, CEO Brennan said that Tipperary GAA was in a “healthy state” and offered optimism by saying, “As a county, we face challenges regarding our finances and infrastructure, but I believe that with a comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders within Tipperary GAA we can address these challenges together.”

He added that his biggest focus will be to develop underage players within the county in the coming years.
In a comprehensive report where he looked at the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for Tipperary GAA going forward on the field of play, he pointed to the success of the county’s underage teams in 2023 in winning the Tony Forristal (U14) and Arrabawn Cup (U15) and Celtic Challenge (U17) which he said, “indicate steady progress through a capacity to compete.”

He added that with the appointment of Sean O’Meara as the new games manager and three new GDAs to bring the number in the county to seven, there is an increased focus on underage player development by exposing more players to higher levels of the target going forward to the field.

It has been confirmed that there will now be four teams entered in the Tony Forristal going forward, along with three teams in the Arrabawn and John Doyle Cups annually, two teams in the Celtic Challenge alongside the minor team, while there will also be a new Under 19 Development squad being launched.

In terms of aiding that underage preparation, it will see a decentralisation of training from Thurles to four divisional hubs to reduce travel time on players, parents, and coaches, which Brennan hopes will “create an environment that fosters a culture of high performance in our underage teams.”

From this, it is hoped adult success will follow and in commenting on the first year of Liam Cahill’s tenure with the Tipperary senior hurlers, Brennan said the team he believes that there has been “huge progress in a short space of time.”

He went on to say, “The age profile of the team was significantly reduced through the introduction of ten debutants, and this contributed to an energy, intensity, and work rate that brought with it big performances and encouraging results.”