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The GAA - Financial And Marketing

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Replying To Pikeman96: "The clubs themselves still don't own streaming and broadcasting rights. Those rights sit the body that organises the matches, i.e. County Boards for county championships, the Provincial Councils for the provincial club championships, and GAA centrally when the club championships move to the All-Ireland stage. If you mean what I think you mean, the clubs involved would either have to push through a massive change in the current situation, or else break away altogether from the GAA and form their own Association, with all that would involve re. property ownership, trustees, player injury fund, and all manner of governance matters. Personally, I don't see either of those things as being very likely." Well it would involve everyone. if people don't want professional players that's ok but pretending we can't set up a structure which will allow it doesn't work anymore. If intermediate teams can fund managements 1k a week demands the club game is already partly professional at lower levels why not make it a proper set up and pay the players. Kew (Galway) - Posts: 453 - 15/10/2026 18:30:25 2697461 Link
Replying To Kew: "It would start off small but you would have a contract. 20 top teams would still double the money you get from the government with is paid out to hurling and football county players. The money is there just need to change the structure" Change the structure and the interest is gone. We've been through this a hundred times before. The money isn't there to sustain a professional game, with hurling and football and multiple teams involved. The community aspect is the strength of the GAA and is why interest is disproportionately high. Picking large clubs from different parts of the country and trying to make them professional, makes no sense at all in that regard. Even the largest club team would have a few thousand followers at most. Then you have to ask, what happens to all the talented players who aren't from those clubs. Are you allowing transfers? Sure that finishes the interest in double quick time. The attachment to club and community is gone in an instant. I'm not sure why you think is a good idea. You'd be killing off something that's culturally very important in this country. WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 3124 - 16/10/2026 10:37:19 2697507 Link
Replying To Kew: "Well it would involve everyone. if people don't want professional players that's ok but pretending we can't set up a structure which will allow it doesn't work anymore. If intermediate teams can fund managements 1k a week demands the club game is already partly professional at lower levels why not make it a proper set up and pay the players." There is no viability in a professional club game, not even semi pro. You potentially could have a semi pro set up with the biggest counties but as said by other posters, this completely changes the fabric of the GAA and the reason why people love it. A good point made on the Irish Examiner podcast was in a semi pro scenario, those counties would have to be run as money making companies and therefore the Bosman rule will apply. Transfers and players swapping between "counties" will be inevitable. So what exactly are you left with then. Some sort of regional teams with players from within and outside those regions. Who are the fans going to be? FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 624 - 16/10/2026 11:38:20 2697515 Link
Replying To FullOfPorter: "There is no viability in a professional club game, not even semi pro. You potentially could have a semi pro set up with the biggest counties but as said by other posters, this completely changes the fabric of the GAA and the reason why people love it. A good point made on the Irish Examiner podcast was in a semi pro scenario, those counties would have to be run as money making companies and therefore the Bosman rule will apply. Transfers and players swapping between "counties" will be inevitable. So what exactly are you left with then. Some sort of regional teams with players from within and outside those regions. Who are the fans going to be?" Yeah, even if there was an absolute bucketload of millions available to turn things professional, it would completely rip up the very thing the Association is built on. As soon as players would become paid professionals, they'd be covered by all aspects of Employment Law, including the freedom of movement of the Bosman Ruling sort. David Clifford could move to Dublin, Tony Kelly could move to Tipp, etc., etc. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 4151 - 16/10/2026 13:06:03 2697533 Link
Replying To FullOfPorter: "There is no viability in a professional club game, not even semi pro. You potentially could have a semi pro set up with the biggest counties but as said by other posters, this completely changes the fabric of the GAA and the reason why people love it. A good point made on the Irish Examiner podcast was in a semi pro scenario, those counties would have to be run as money making companies and therefore the Bosman rule will apply. Transfers and players swapping between "counties" will be inevitable. So what exactly are you left with then. Some sort of regional teams with players from within and outside those regions. Who are the fans going to be?" I'm talking about club not county Kew (Galway) - Posts: 453 - 17/10/2026 12:02:18 2697619 Link
Replying To Kew: "I'm talking about club not county" There are no clubs with enough members to support a professional game Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20845 - 17/10/2026 12:10:55 2697621 Link
Replying To Viking66: "There are no clubs with enough members to support a professional game" In theory you might get 5 Professional teams... the 4 Provinces and Dublin. They'd have to play each other about 6 times a year so even if it were feasible money wise it would die of boredom in 5 years. Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 976 - 17/10/2026 12:17:50 2697623 Link
Replying To Seanfan: "In theory you might get 5 Professional teams... the 4 Provinces and Dublin. They'd have to play each other about 6 times a year so even if it were feasible money wise it would die of boredom in 5 years." Totally unsustainable, unrealistic, pie in the sky handpassking (Galway) - Posts: 446 - 17/10/2026 16:04:13 2697656 Link
Replying To WanPintWin: "Change the structure and the interest is gone. We've been through this a hundred times before. The money isn't there to sustain a professional game, with hurling and football and multiple teams involved. The community aspect is the strength of the GAA and is why interest is disproportionately high. Picking large clubs from different parts of the country and trying to make them professional, makes no sense at all in that regard. Even the largest club team would have a few thousand followers at most. Then you have to ask, what happens to all the talented players who aren't from those clubs. Are you allowing transfers? Sure that finishes the interest in double quick time. The attachment to club and community is gone in an instant. I'm not sure why you think is a good idea. You'd be killing off something that's culturally very important in this country." Premier league soccer clubs are professionally run businesses almost entirely made of players not from the area and it hasnt diminished the loyalty locals have for their clubs. In fact new players strengthening those clubs has in some cases ENHANCED that loyalty. And before you say it id bet those clubs mean just as much to their fans as our clubs and counties mean to gaa fans. I dont understand the opposition to players transferring clubs at all tbh. Whenever a player leaves for the afl we rush to wish him luck and remind the detractors that hes a free man and can do what he likes. As free men who can do what they like players should be allowed transfer club if they so choose. At least in this case theyre remaining in the gaa. Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 383 - 17/10/2026 18:30:51 2697673 Link
Replying To Seniorleague: "Premier league soccer clubs are professionally run businesses almost entirely made of players not from the area and it hasnt diminished the loyalty locals have for their clubs. In fact new players strengthening those clubs has in some cases ENHANCED that loyalty. And before you say it id bet those clubs mean just as much to their fans as our clubs and counties mean to gaa fans. I dont understand the opposition to players transferring clubs at all tbh. Whenever a player leaves for the afl we rush to wish him luck and remind the detractors that hes a free man and can do what he likes. As free men who can do what they like players should be allowed transfer club if they so choose. At least in this case theyre remaining in the gaa." Premier League soccer clubs are based in big cities with large populations. They've been professional for around l40 years signing players from anywhere and everywhere. Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 976 - 17/10/2026 21:28:25 2697688 Link
Replying To Seniorleague: "Premier league soccer clubs are professionally run businesses almost entirely made of players not from the area and it hasnt diminished the loyalty locals have for their clubs. In fact new players strengthening those clubs has in some cases ENHANCED that loyalty. And before you say it id bet those clubs mean just as much to their fans as our clubs and counties mean to gaa fans. I dont understand the opposition to players transferring clubs at all tbh. Whenever a player leaves for the afl we rush to wish him luck and remind the detractors that hes a free man and can do what he likes. As free men who can do what they like players should be allowed transfer club if they so choose. At least in this case theyre remaining in the gaa." A footballer moving to the AFL is basically somebody emigrating to start a new job. That's very different from somebody moving from your club to join a rival just over the road. I always say to people who claim things like "you should be able to be move club if you want to" or "you should be able to play wherever you like" to be careful what they wish for. If that was the way, there's no guarantee anybody would ever want to play for your own club at all. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 4151 - 17/10/2026 23:58:25 2697699 Link
Replying To Seanfan: "Premier League soccer clubs are based in big cities with large populations. They've been professional for around l40 years signing players from anywhere and everywhere." I get that the two circumstances arent identical but they are similar. Those soccer fans have proven that above all their loyalty is to the jersey and the club and not the individual players involved. I agree that reshaping county lines or creating artificial teams from scratch would be disastrous but i wouldnt be so quick to assume that GAA fans would abandon their current clubs or counties if outside players came in to represent them. With emigration and rural depopulation happening outside players coming in to keep the club alive may in fact be warmly welcomed. Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 383 - 18/10/2026 14:09:14 2697727 Link
Replying To Pikeman96: "A footballer moving to the AFL is basically somebody emigrating to start a new job. That's very different from somebody moving from your club to join a rival just over the road. I always say to people who claim things like "you should be able to be move club if you want to" or "you should be able to play wherever you like" to be careful what they wish for. If that was the way, there's no guarantee anybody would ever want to play for your own club at all." But why shouldnt they be able to play wherever they like? Theyre free men,with the right to choose what they do with themselves, aren't they,or do freedom and choice for GAA players only count when a professional contract with the AFL is involved? Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 383 - 18/10/2026 18:13:17 2697768 Link
Replying To Seniorleague: "But why shouldnt they be able to play wherever they like? Theyre free men,with the right to choose what they do with themselves, aren't they,or do freedom and choice for GAA players only count when a professional contract with the AFL is involved?" I'm long enough knocking around GAA circles to know there's no point arguing with somebody who throws out the "should be able to play wherever you want" line. All I'll say is that the GAA is a community organisation as well as a sporting one, and is inextricably linked to pride of place in a way none other is. And remember, if you rip that up - there's no guarantee anybody will ever want to play for your own club at all. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 4151 - 18/10/2026 21:44:59 2697805 Link
Replying To Pikeman96: "I'm long enough knocking around GAA circles to know there's no point arguing with somebody who throws out the "should be able to play wherever you want" line. All I'll say is that the GAA is a community organisation as well as a sporting one, and is inextricably linked to pride of place in a way none other is. And remember, if you rip that up - there's no guarantee anybody will ever want to play for your own club at all." You join some organisation, you operate within the rules of that organisation. Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 976 - 19/10/2026 10:01:01 2697834 Link
Replying To Seniorleague: "But why shouldnt they be able to play wherever they like? Theyre free men,with the right to choose what they do with themselves, aren't they,or do freedom and choice for GAA players only count when a professional contract with the AFL is involved?" While professional contracts may not be feasible or sustainable in GAA at present with the current format, Perhaps amateur contracts is the way to go for established Inter-county players, providing some financial reward to players, in addition to the coaching the get access to. Then some level of compensation can be paid to Counties by AFL or US GAA clubs, for players who have spent years on elite level S&C and coaching to develop these young players into what they are. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1983 - 19/10/2026 12:50:09 2697863 Link
Replying To Commodore: "While professional contracts may not be feasible or sustainable in GAA at present with the current format, Perhaps amateur contracts is the way to go for established Inter-county players, providing some financial reward to players, in addition to the coaching the get access to. Then some level of compensation can be paid to Counties by AFL or US GAA clubs, for players who have spent years on elite level S&C and coaching to develop these young players into what they are." Did Naomh Conaill or Donegal GAA spend any extra money, or did his coaches put any extra time or effort coaching the teams he was on, than they would have if Finbarr Roarty had taken up soccer at a young age and never played Gaelic Football at all? Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20845 - 19/10/2026 13:44:36 2697881 Link
Replying To Viking66: "Did Naomh Conaill or Donegal GAA spend any extra money, or did his coaches put any extra time or effort coaching the teams he was on, than they would have if Finbarr Roarty had taken up soccer at a young age and never played Gaelic Football at all?" Thats like saying that a big soccer club shouldn't have to pay compensation to a smaller soccer club when they poach their talent because that talent could just as easily have been developed at a different club down the road. Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 383 - 19/10/2026 18:22:24 2697942 Link
Replying To Pikeman96: "I'm long enough knocking around GAA circles to know there's no point arguing with somebody who throws out the "should be able to play wherever you want" line. All I'll say is that the GAA is a community organisation as well as a sporting one, and is inextricably linked to pride of place in a way none other is. And remember, if you rip that up - there's no guarantee anybody will ever want to play for your own club at all." Well im not totally opposed to what you're saying but i just dont get how a gaa player who decides to move to the afl is congratulated (you only live once,its his life and he can do what he likes etc) but a gaa player who moves club is the worst in the world. There seems to be two totally different attitudes to two scenarios that are broadly similar. Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 383 - 19/10/2026 18:28:22 2697943 Link