Huge boost as Kildare GAA surplus hits €1.588m

Wednesday evening, sees the 137th Kildare GAA Annual Convention taking place at Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbrige, which in itself is unique as it finally sees this yearly gathering coming back to the home of GAA in the county.

It marks the end of chairman Mick Gorman's five years reign at the helm; as it does the vice-chairman, Colm Farrell, and a few other officers whose terms also come to a conclusion.

One man who was given a special exemption following his five year term coming to an end back in 2019, and is given an extra year this time around, is treasurer Alan Dunney.

That special Croke Park extension was to oversee the completion of the re-development of St Conleth's Park, while also getting the finances onto a sound footing, and that he has certainly achieved as the accounts will readily verify with a whopping surplus of no less that €1,588,244, with €1.2m of that immediately going to reduce the debt of the recently rnoevated Cedrat St Conleth's Park stadium.

The last number of weeks, even months, has seen much specuilation as to who would step into Mr Gorman's position.

We have had no shortage of folk indicating their ambition to take the top job but in recend weeks a number of candidates have had a change of mind leaving a straight vote between just two.

Mick Mullen, one of the favs from an early stage will now face Bryan Murphy, former county star, former manager of the minor and U21 county teams and a highly rated and respected coach.

Nominated for the position of Vice-Chair is Rathangan's Larry Curtin, who has been the Leinster Council delegate for the past five years and he is joined by another suprise nominee, Colm Nolan, a former Hurling Board Chairman.

Those two votes will certainly be interesting, to say the very least, there has been a lot of calls, no shortage of canvassing, no shortage of opinion and it could be a tight call.

Who will emerge as chair and, indeed, vice-chair?

We'll leave that to the clubs, to the top table officials, it is a big decision and one that hopefully is decided for all the right reasons and for the betterment of Kildare GAA.

While the 'talk' as we approach convention has been centred on those top table positions, the official accounts will certaily have lots of added interest such is the rude state of health of treasurer Alan Dunney's financial statement.

Impressive is a word, in this writer's opinon, not strong enough to describe the place Kildare GAA are in, financially-wise, at the moment.

Remember back when the Caragh man took up this office — an office he has held for the past decade — to say the finances were in a dire state is putting it very mildly but, thankfully, that is now in the past and when delegates throw their eyes on this year's financial report they will certainly be pleasantly surprised.

The headline figure in the accounts is undoubtedly under the heading: Surplus for the Year and that comes in at a whopping €1,588,244, up from last year's figure of €370,756.

The main difference is explained by a sum of €1.2m from the Immigrant Investment Programme (IIP) and with more funding to come from this source the future financial state of Kildare GAA finances looks to be on a very sound footing indeed.

Gate receipts in 2024 grew by a very healthy 11 per cent but on the other side of that the income from the National League reduced by nearly a quarter, no doubt due to demotion to Division 2 of the National League coupled with poorish attendances at 'home' games which of course were held at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow, due to the redevelopment at Cedral St Conleth's.

Club Kildare saw growth both in membership and the annual corporate golf day, both of which helped deliver an increased contribution to Kildare GAA by some €27k.

As stated the surplus for the year of €1,588,244, which includes €1.2m from the IIP, amounts to just three of the approved 24 investments, having been paid in the 2024 Financial Year.

It is anticipated that a further three of these IIP payments will be paid prior to Christmas (2024) with the remainder (IIP) falling due in the next 12 to 18 months.

Regarding St Conleth's Park, there is an outstanding loan from Croke Park of €2.25m and a further bank loan of €2m (that will hopefully be cleared in the next few weeks) with the entire St Conleth's Park debt being cleared in the next 12-18 months, if not sooner.

Such is the rude health of the finances of Kildare GAA some €500,000 is about to be spent on upgrading the floodlights at Manguard Park, Hawkfield, as delegates were informed at the last Co. Board meeting in November, with LED lighting and a new, more efficient and greener generator, which in itself will help to reduce both carbon emissions and fuel costs.

It is hoped that the focus in the very near future will turn to purchasing more land for extra pitches and dressing rooms at Manguard Park, as the county prepares for the expected integration of Ladies football and camogie in the next couple of years.

So all in all certainly a very rose picture.

All told and after that €1.2m is taken out of the surplus figure, as well as removing depreciation and amortisation it leaves a cash surplus of some €535,000 for the financial year.

This year, according to the audited figures which will be presented to convention on Wednesday, a figure in excess of €1m, under the heading Team Expenses, will have been spent, the first time the €1m barrier will have been exceeded.

That total is made up of players' mileage €193,641 (down some €26k from 2023); team manager and selectors €158k (up approx €58k); backroom team personnel €75k (down €15k); physiotherapy costs €55k (up €11k), meals, catering and nutrition €183k (up approx €30k); team expenses €79k; travel and accommodation €61k; (up €26k), sports gear, equipment and laundry €189k along with physical training and medical expenses €33k (down €8k) coming to a total of €1,028,023 which is a healthy and welcome increase of some €75,000 overall from 2023 in support of all county teams.