Inside Track: Burns has often raised the issue of money being spent on county teams
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
There’s no doubt it will happen, ladies’ football and camogie coming under the Croke Park umbrella. Integration was first mooted four years ago, and after that 2027 was written firmly on the calendar as the year in which it would happen.
The process, however, has slowed down, if not exactly coming to a grinding halt. It’s too important to be scrapped. There was near total support from within the GAA ranks for the move; there’s no reason to think that opinions have changed in the meantime.
Word that the 2027 deadline won’t be met, however, has led to a resignation and as sharp of exchange of words.
Chairperson of the Football Review Committee, the group delegated to oversee the amalgamation, former President Mary McAleese, has stood down and in a statement had been strident in her criticism of the GAA.
GAA President, Jarlath Burns, has replied in kind, accusing McAleese of being, for one thing, ‘offensive’ to the GAA.
What has become known as the three Fs, finance, facilities and fixtures, are said to be central to Croke Park stalling the three associations coming together. And if Jarlath Burns put an emphasis of the financial implications, it’s easy to understand why.
Throughout his presidency, the Armagh man has consistently highlighted the rising cost of preparing county teams. It’s estimated €45m was spent last year. This was €1m up on 2024; when this year’s figures are released there’s the near certainty is it will be higher.
In this county, fielding football and hurling teams came to €1.2 million in 2025. Given the extended run enjoyed by the senior footballers, a steep increase for 2026 can be expected.
Burns has often referred to the cost of county teams’ preparations as a ‘runaway train’. Few can disagree. It’s been growing year on year, and in tandem with this, the number included on management teams has swollen.
Twenty-five were pictured on a backroom team after an All-Ireland final over a decade ago. What must the same county be employing now? And ‘employing’ is the word. You can be sure none of them was/is doing it for nothing.
This is the price, some say, that has to paid if a county wants to be successful. Maybe, but for an association that has grown to what it is today overwhelmingly on the back of volunteerism, the professional element is anathema to many.
Burns has quoted €90m as the figure that will be needed to field teams when the amalgamation happens. Probably of more concern to him now is applying the brakes to the ‘runaway train’.
In his three years as president, which come to an end early next year, he has not only spoken out about against county team expenditure, but highlighted the Association’s amateur status.
It shouldn’t be allowed to erode.