The GAA's Central Council annual accounts show that Croke Park's income rose by more than £2,500,000 last year. But without the additional income from the sequence of draws in the All-Ireland football championship, revenue would have been nearly static.

The replays between Armagh-Kerry and Galway-Kerry meant that gate receipts for the year were up by over £2,000,000. Expenditure rose by less than that, giving rise to an operating surplus of £4,260,802 - most of which was sent back to the holding company, CLG Teo, as a grant towards the redevelopment.

That development continues to affect the profitability of the stadium. As with last year, the ground is too open due to construction for concerts to be held - given poor acoustics - and that shut off another possible revenue source.

Another of the effects of the redevelopment on commercial activity can be seen in the sources of revenue. It has long been an ambition of the association to reduce the proportion of income generated by gate receipts and increase that generated by commercial activities.

That ratio had fallen from 73:23 in 1994 to 61:35 in 1998, before slipping back slightly in 1999, to 64:34. That trend continued in last year's accounts, with gate receipts jumping to 67 per cent and the ratio to 67:30. Again the enhanced gate receipts contribute to that.

It is also interesting to note that, whereas the revenues from commercial activity and media have slipped back as a proportion of total revenue in recent years, media-generated revenue has risen from £400,000 in 1994 to £2,500,000 last year.