GAA players should be paid by the opulent organisation that has plenty to share
Since its inception in 1884, the GAA has acted as a unification for the people of Ireland. It started out as a patriotic shield against British imperialism and has developed into the people of Ireland’s pride and joy.
But is there much pride in a wealthy organisation that doesn’t pay the individuals who essentially run the show?
The GAA is one of the few amateur sports left in the world, but the financial stature and global growth of the game in recent years would suggest a move to become pro is on the cards, or at least should be.
According to the Irish Independent’s article about the GAA’s financial turnover for 2022, their income for the year was €96.1 million; gained from commercial income, All-Ireland Championships, and gate receipts. According to the GAA’s website, the vast revenue is reportedly put back into the association in the form of games development, player welfare, grants, and other funding necessities.
But the €96.1 million budget is only partially spent on this, so this begs the question; where does the rest of the money go and why can’t you pay the players?
GAA athletes commit to the same fitness regimes and diets as any other athletes. RTÉ Sport published an article in 2021 interviewing renowned strength and conditioning coach Mike McGurn, who said that “a lot of senior county football teams are doing more training than the All Blacks”.
Former Tipperary hurler Shane McGrath also mentioned that GAA athletes are “training more than professional soccer players, and that is their job. Inter-county players have 9-5 jobs on top of that as well.”
Just look at the size of the athletes.
The average weight of the Limerick football team last year was 87kg. That is just 6kg less than the Irish rugby team’s backs in the 2022 Six Nations. McGrath also mentioned that when players turn 30 their career rapidly declines due to the strain put on their body.
Some might say that just because you train a lot doesn’t mean you should get paid a lot, but without the high training levels and stringent fitness regimes, GAA would not be half as entertaining. These athletes train not for a share, but a show.
The GAA’s financial management is laced with nepotism and its flaws mean that a wage structure for its athletes seems a million miles away.
Online publication ‘42’ reported in 2018 that Dublin had received €21 million in game development funding since 2007, while in 2021 alone that figure stood at €745,278. The second highest was Antrim with €199,439.
It is astonishing that most of the organisation’s finances are pumped into the country’s capital, but also the figures show that the GAA prioritise financing the development of the game rather than making some financial room for subsidising its player base.
The organisation did increase their budget for funding counties to €12 million in 2019, but this doesn’t dent the turnover of €67.7 million it generated that year and it is still to this day unequally divided throughout Ireland’s 32 teams.
The investment into each respective county, coupled with developing the game and improving stadiums, would bring that total to roughly €10 million. The remaining amount could comfortably organise a reasonable wage structure for athletes.
The idealists in Ireland would wince at the prospect of Hurling and Gaelic Football athletes getting a salary, and they very much wish to preserve the romantic amateur aspect of the sport.
There is also a concern that providing GAA players with a wage would reduce participation in other sports such as soccer and rugby, which are much more competitive sports to become professional in.
The digitisation of the world in recent years has created an era of ‘pay-per-post’. Social media has created a financial avenue for GAA athletes to benefit from, with some labelling it as a strong defence against the athletes earning a salary in the sport.
According to the Irish Times, Galway footballer Damien Comer can demand €655 per post, and a third of that for an Instagram story. Car dealerships in Ireland such as Skoda and Audi also provide GAA athletes with brand-new cars in return for a quick meet and a sponsored Instagram photo.
Renowned Dublin full-forward Bernard Brogan spoke about these perks on Twitter two months ago.
Playing for Dublin I got my ego checked a good few times but this one had the biggest impact on me and everyone on the team.
At the height of my career I was getting offered A LOT of corporate gigs and I’d happily accept them and think nothing of it.
— Bernard Brogan (@bernardbrogan) January 25, 2023
The Twitter thread he posted reveals what the Dublin players thought of these limited benefits being offered only to him. One of the club’s coaches, Pat Gilroy, told Bernard that “it’s important to remember that you’re getting those gigs and the attention because there are 14 other men out there working their asses off and helping you get the ball.”
Players were, according to Bernard’s post, saying that “Berno can’t be talking about some sponsorship gig he got when other lads aren’t getting any.”
Bernard announced at the end of the thread that any money he has earned through these sponsorship deals will in future be placed into a pot and split between the squad evenly. The scenario illuminates the discontent athletes have with seeing their fellow teammates absorb the social popularity and all the prosperity that comes with it.
Athletes are not content with waiting around for the GAA to impose a wage structure, instead, they are taking matters into their own hands. However, this avenue is extremely limited and is only offered to the household names of the GAA. But Bernard’s act of respect for his teammates is something the GAA should take notice of. Everyone involved should get a fair share.
The defence for the GAA going pro lacks conviction and is outdated. With Sky’s previously lucrative deals with the GAA and now BBC’s long-term purchase of the broadcasting rights to the All-Ireland finals, the prospect of going pro may be unavoidable.
With all these broadcasting packages, brand ambassadors, global GAA games and more inter-county games in Ireland than ever before, the ‘free sport’ could be open to free-market capitalism. Who’s to say someone won’t buy the GAA out and make the organisation realise the untapped potential their game truly possesses?
