By Ciaran Woods

c.woods@gaeliclife.com

IT COST a whopping ¤1.6 million for the GAA just to staff and pay for security for Croke Park last year, underlining the fact that running such a massive stadium does not come cheap, the financial reports to this weekends GAA Congress in Sligo reveal.

The costs of repairs, upkeep of the ground and match day at the stadium totalled ¤5.6 million, while the cost of insurance was a staggering ¤400,000. The new floodlights have also clearly added to the total outlay for the GAA, with the costs for heat, light and power up by more than ¤150,000 to almost ¤835,000.

It's certainly big business, but the flagship stadium of the Association also goes a substantial distance towards paying its own way, despite missing out on the ¤230,000 they had received in 2006 from the Ulster Council for the hosting of their provincial decider, as well as the International Rules which brought in ¤370,000 the previous year.

Income from the rental of property was just over ¤323,000, while advertising space brought in ¤1.4 million. The biggest portions of income came from the use of corporate facilities, worth over ¤10.5 million, while the income from the hire of facilities more than doubled to just under ¤11 million.

The GAA's assets also make interesting reading. The recorded value for land and buildings belonging to the Croke Park company is a staggering ¤146 million, with a further ¤4.3 million worth of equipment and another ¤13.4 million in machinery, fixtures and fittings. The Croke Park company also added ¤2.5 in investment property over the last 12 months.