Roscommon GAA finances improve in 2023

Roscommon GAA’s financial statements for the year up to September 30th show the county made an operating profit of €332,334 before depreciation, a significant upturn from 2022 numbers, where the county made a small loss of €14,151.

When depreciation is factored in, the majority of which is the fall in value of the Hyde Park stand (€71,536) and gym equipment (€37,021), the county recorded an overall surplus of €195,830.

However the cost of operations in the county continued to rise, most notably team administration expenses, which increased to a record level of €1,218,960.

The introduction of a round robin stage within the All-Ireland series and economic inflation were both factors in the rise, which is not inconsistent with the experience of other counties all across Ireland. Last week it was reported that both Mayo and Wexford had team administration expenses at very close to that level, and in both cases, that represented a significant increase on their 2022 numbers.

The full set of accounts was presented to delegates from the county’s 32 clubs at the county board convention in the Abbey Hotel on Monday night, but had been released to club secretaries last week.

Overall income for the year was recorded at €2,209,522, while expenditure for the year arrived at €1,877,188. That represented a gargantuan 40% increase in income, which was attributed to a variety of sources.

Gate receipts grew by 32% to just under €400,000, though this was in part a reflection of how the accounts run from September 30th of each year, so the bumper attendance at the 2022 county final between Strokestown and Boyle was reflected in this year’s numbers. This remains quite low in comparison to many other counties, though it should be noted that in both Kerry and Mayo, those numbers dropped this year.

There were increases in other streams of income too, but by far the most significant was the increase in fundraising activities, resulting from the “Win 200 Grand” draw, which ran up to June of this year.

Club Rossie income ballooned from €352,832 in 2022 up to €811,146 this year, and even when the cost of the prizes was deducted, this still meant that Club Rossie fundraising activity yielded €375,095 in total for the county in 2023.

In other income streams, promotion to Division One of the Allianz Football League meant that the income from that competition increased to €188,622 from €122,354, while two Croke Park grants, one of which was pertaining to Covid Support, yielded just under €170,000 between them.

When it came to expenses, there were increases in all categories of team administration expenses, but the largest increase was in the category of ‘Catering, accommodation and flights’, which went from €155,489 in 2022 to €226,184 this year. Manager’s expenses across all football teams also increased significantly from €36,024 to €86,804, in large part because of members of the senior management team for the 2023 travelling from farther afield than their 2022 counterparts.

Roscommon GAA continues to be in a very strong position with regard to cash at hand, continuing to hold over €2 million in cash at bank despite the fact that the amount owed to short-term creditors reduced from €685,280 to €410,965 over the past 12 months.

On the county’s balance sheet, the significant change was the increase in the net book value of Dr. Hyde Park, changing from €2,254,710 to €2,732,175 even allowing for depreciation, due to the ongoing works at the venue. Meanwhile, there was no move in the special account for the Dermot Earley Centre of Excellence, other than the accrual of €5,927 interest, bringing the amount of funding to €290,171. The notes to the accounts also confirmed that the purchase price of the lands at the Racecourse Road which have been earmarked for this facility was €480,000.