For the upcoming football championship in 2025, the Connacht Council will be reducing the ground rent percentage applicable to each county from 10 per cent down to 5 per cent. This decision is a response to the “financial difficulties” that emerged after the GAA decided to suspend the secondary provincial competitions, including the FBD Connacht leagues, slated for 2025.
This change is projected to result in a financial shortfall of approximately €150,000, factoring in “ticket sales, live broadcasts and sponsorships”.
On Friday, an announcement was published by the Connacht Council, stating that the decision was made during their October assembly. They endorsed a proposal from the provincial management committee during the October gathering to decrease the ground rent payments levied on counties for the 2025 senior football championship.
The Council’s move to reduce ground rent has followed the GAA’s decision to abandon provincial leagues. The cancellation of these leagues is expected to have a significant adverse impact, with teams, referees, and fans missing the chance to familiarise themselves with new rules before the commencement of the National League.
During the assembly, representatives from each county voiced their concerns over the financial losses and the vital role of these competitions. They indicated that with the absence of these competitions, managers would probably arrange extra challenge matches, resulting in higher demands on players regarding playtime and travel.
The representatives accentuated the loss of opportunities provided by the FBD Connacht League and expressed strong intentions to seek alternate solutions to restore financial equilibrium.
The Connacht Hurling League has proven advantageous for all participating counties, and its importance is further emphasised by joining of New York, London, and Longford with the five Connacht counties. Notably, New York has derived substantial benefits from their involvement in the hurling leagues.
The controversial decision to discontinue the pre-season tournaments was proposed by Jarlath Burns, president of GAA, and Tom Parsons, the CEO of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), and drew criticism from intercounty managers during the inauguration of the interprovincial series of trial matches for the Football Review Committee’s suggested new football regulations.
The proposal drew questions from Pádraic Joyce of Galway, Kieran Donnelly representing Fermanagh, and Paul Shankey from Waterford as it robs the teams of a chance to adapt to the new recommendations.