Cash inflow for the GAA continues at an impressive level, the figures released by Croke Park recently indicating that, for the present at least, the good times are rolling for the Association.
Total revenue has come in at approximately 65 million Euro for the year 2007 which shows a substantial increase but it is not all good news.
There is concern that attendances showed no improvement for the second successive year and in fact championship crowds were down approximately 70 000.
Gate receipts did rise but that figure is essentially made up by of admission price increases and an exceptional season in the National Football League while there was also the extraordinary full house attendance at the Dublin v Tyrone league fixture which marked the official opening of the new floodlighting system..
In fact gate receipts amounted for less than 50% of the income and this continues the trend of previous years, a drop of over 20% And to add to the problem of gate revenues, there is particular dependence on a relatively small number of fixtures in the championship underpinning the income level.
Commercial income accounted for some 14 % of the total with other income tallying in the region of 24 %.
On the expenditure side of things, almost all of the operating surplus of 19million Euro was paid out in grants.
It is intended at the upcoming Congress to produce a club by club list of the 400 or so clubs who benefited in the region of four and a half million Euro. It is asserted that investment in clubs has trebled in the past three years.
In the year which saw the hosting of rugby and soccer internationals over two million people attended. In all there were 26 matches, 17 finals, 6 internationals and one concert.
Average attendance figures for GAA matches were 50 367, down from 52 354 in 2006.
Croke Park has also revealed the intention to build a new administrative headquarters. No details of the project were announced though it is understood that the project will take at least three years to complete.
The old administrative block, Davin House was demolished to make way for the construction of the new Hogan Stand and current offices situated on the premium level at the Canal End were never envisaged as being permanent.
