GAA's earnings increase to €44m

The GAA has announced an increase in revenue of seven per cent, taking the association's earnings up to €44 million from €41 million in 2005. Despite the increase, there is concern that gate receipts - the largest stream in that revenue total are only slightly up on the previous year.

There was general stagnation in the figures, with the slight rise (one and a half per cent or €400,000) reflecting a shift between the All-Ireland quarter-finals, down €2 million and the semi-finals, up €2.5 million - largely accounted for by Dublin's replayed quarter-final with Tyrone in 2005 and the county's semi-final against Mayo last year.

On a broader issue, the total percentage of revenue coming from gate receipts has fallen to 60 per cent - possibly the lowest it's ever been and continuing the trend last year when, after a few years of averaging over 70 per cent, the figure fell to 63 per cent.

According to the GAA's Financial Director, Tom Ryan, the new figure is, "as a proportion about right". Ryan also produced an exercise that showed how GAA revenues are used.

Between payments to counties, games development expenditure, payments for injury and welfare, infrastructural investment and operating grants to other bodies, such as the camogie and women's football associations, 79 per cent of GAA income is recycled within the association.

Expenditure on games development and capital grants, €8 million and €14 million respectively, was at its highest ever level.

On the commercial front, there was good news with the percentage of revenue accounted for rising five points to 29 per cent, from €10.5 million to €12 million.

There was further good news in the disclosure that Croke Park has started to generate revenue for the GAA. Since the redevelopment of the stadium began over 13 years ago, the association has been subsidising work on the project until last year when PCT (Páirc an Chrócaigh Teoranta) the holding company for the stadium announced it would be receiving no subvention for 2005.

Following on from that, Stadium Director Peter McKenna said yesterday that PCT had sent back a €6 million payment to the GAA, the first in what will become a regular series of payments in the years to come.

Debt on the stadium fell from €48.8 million to €37.7 million - figures that largely comprise GAA grants to the stadium - and 2006 was the sixth straight year of increased profitability.

PCT profits were up by €947,000 to €8.1 million. A number of improvements to the ground were made during the year, including the installation of floodlights, under-soil heating and a second big screen.

Attendance figures for Croke Park were 300,000 down across the range of visitors to the museum, concerts and matches. This was largely accounted for by the six fewer matches played at the venue in 2006 compare to a year previously.

The average attendance at the 21 matches held in the stadium was 52,355, an increase of seven per cent on 2005.