GAA considering sharing use of grounds and facilities with other sports

The GAA’s leadership is considering a major policy shift to share its grounds and facilities with other sports in a bid to accommodate more players.

As the population in the 32 counties hits seven million and is estimated to grow to 7.6 million by 2040, there are concerns in Croke Park that the Association’s current infrastructure is not enough to reflect the demographic increase.

An inventory of GAA property found that there are approximately 3,200 pitches owned by 1,597 clubs on the island of Ireland. In total, there are 45 county grounds or stadiums and 25 training centres with 96 pitches. There are 322 all-weather pitches, 1,383 clubhouses with 5,010 dressing rooms, 711 gyms and 85 hurling walls.

As for playing numbers, there are 100,000 adult players, 260,000 juveniles and 35,000 coaches. The divide between rural and urban players is 200,000 to 100,000 respectively. For every GAA pitch, there are 116 players and it is estimated that for every additional 100,000 players 860 pitches will be required.

Speaking at a recent Central Council meeting, GAA director general Tom Ryan raised a number of questions about how the organisation can best prepare for the rising population on the island.

He asked delegates to consider a number of questions such as how the GAA can finance such additional facilities, does the GAA really have to own property and should they consider combining their efforts to develop facilities with other sports bodies such as the IRFU.

Ryan’s presentation follows his remarks in his annual report in February when he suggested the GAA ease their rules around making county grounds available to other sports.

Referencing Munster and Ulster rugby games in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Kingspan Breffni in the last quarter of 2023, he wrote: “I wonder if, in the spirit of the foregoing, it might be time to reconsider our current restrictions regarding the use of Association property. Treoir Oifigiúil (GAA Official Guide) and Central Council policy currently prescribe that GAA grounds may only be used by other sports in the case of ‘events of national significance’.

“Recent months have seen permission granted for a small number of games which possibly stretch that definition and have given me pause for thought. It’s not a question of finance, or at least not a short term income stream.

“We are in an era where the construction of new grounds, the refurbishment of existing ones, and even the running costs of either pose an even greater challenge. Our future lies with new models of ownership, municipal facilities and shared grounds.

“These could well present our best opportunities for expansion. In that context perhaps it is time to adopt a more liberal attitude to opening existing county grounds and trusting local county committees to make those decision based on practicalities and opportunities. I won’t prejudge where that particular debate might take us, but I would certainly welcome the discussion.”

Municipal examples such as the public-private funded €7 million Fethard Town Park in Tipperary which is used by the GAA and IRFU among others are considered models for the future.

Kingspan Breffni’s redevelopment plans in Cavan town includes a multi-sports dome which will feature 4G pitches and playing areas for basketball and hockey, an athletics track and badminton and tennis facilities.

However, there continue to be local disagreements over the use of infrastructure. It was reported in the "Sunday Independent" over the weekend that the Catholic Church in the form of St Laurence O’Toole Diocesan Trust is being sued by St Brigid’s Rugby Club in Cornelscourt in south Dublin after it sold five acres of sports fields to Geraldines P Moran GAA club for €1m.

St Brigid’s had been using the pitches as well as Geraldines but they have been prevented by the parish from accessing the playing fields.

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