Limerick hurler Dan Morrissey hopes the Government will respond positively to intercounty players seeking extra funding given the State’s €10 million investment to stage the upcoming NFL Croke Park fixture between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings.
The Government’s multimillion euro funding was crucial to getting an agreement over the line for the NFL game to take place in Dublin on Sunday, September 27th.
The Gaelic Players Association are asking for the Government to include an increase in player grants from €5.6 million to €10 million in next month’s budget.
“I remember seeing that figure, how much they were spending to get the NFL game here,” says Morrissey.
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“It did make me think, ‘Jeez, is that money not available for our native sports?’ So, look, hopefully we get a positive result when the budget’s announced in a few weeks.
“We don’t think it’s a big ask, what we’re looking for here. The grant hasn’t moved since 2018.”
Dublin camogie player Aisling Maher, who is also co-chair of the GPA’s National Executive Committee, feels the request for an increase in funding from the intercounty body stands on its own merits.
“When you look at the economic impact and the social impact that Gaelic games have, the amount of money that is generated, obviously by the men’s games in particular, it’s such a small percentage to look to put back into our game to make it more sustainable for our players,” she said.
“It’s almost irrelevant what’s being spent on other sports. If they have the money there for the NFL that’s a different question for them, but I think we’re generating the money that we’re looking to get back in, so it should be met.”
GPA CEO Tom Parsons admits the Government’s investment in attracting the NFL game has been a matter raised with him several times by intercounty players.
“We did a roadshow and that just jumped off the page,” says Parsons.
“I’m sure the Government have different reasons for funding these initiatives, but players do see that.
“It’s not one the GPA are using as a stick to beat the Government with, but when we did the roadshow players had identified that, they’d seen it announced.”
[ Gaelic Players Association to call for increase to player grants of almost 80%Opens in new window ]
Speaking in Croke Park earlier this year, Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan argued that funding for intercounty grants and investment in the NFL game were separate issues.
“This is a massive opportunity for us to get into a market and a space that we are not in already – other European cities are, other European countries are,“ the Minister said at the time. ”They are all way bigger than us and this give us an opportunity to reach an audience that we don’t reach as it is.
“The collegiate football is, I suppose, like the minor championship compared to the senior hurling championship, to use GAA parlance.
“From those perspectives, the economics, cultural, tourism, political and the historic, this represents a good idea as far as I would be concerned from the Government’s point of view.”
