Show me the Money!

How will Tipperary GAA come up with the cash to fund projects?

By Noel Dundon

Despite a precarious financial position over the last number of years and with costs rising all the time, Tipperary GAA County Board has made no secret of the fact that they wish to extend the number of playing pitches at Coolmore Morris Park in order to cater for the huge demands placed on the facility.

This desire was a common theme running through the annual Convention held at the Dome recently with Chief Executive Officer, Murtagh Brennan highlighting it in his report, Chairperson, Jimmy Minogue also alluding to it, and Treasurer Eleanor Lahart also referencing the ambition.

There are currently three playing fields in Coolmore Morris Park with floodlights on all three, and a common astro turf and ball-wall area complimenting the facilities. The dressing-rooms and storage areas were significantly enhanced over the last eighteen months at considerable cost and phase II of this latest development will see additional accommodation and multi-purpose centre being added adjacent to the current building. Crucially though, this building, if it goes ahead, will further eat into the grass surface at Coolmore Morris Park which continues to dwindle.

The Board purchased the land for Morris Park from the Smee family more than two and a half decades ago and two pitches were developed at the time. The family was then approached at a later stage and asked to consider selling another portion of land for a third pitch, which they duly did. The problem now, if other pitches are to be added, is where the land comes from.

The Smee family might not wish to part with any more land in the area since their remaining acreage bounds Abbey Road/Ard na Croise and is used extensively for car parking on big match days. At the other side of Morris Park, the Hayes family owns the property and might not wish to part with any land either.

That leaves the title holders of Dr Morris Park - Coolmore - as the third property owners whose lands bounds Tipperary’s training grounds.

Coolmore recently purchased the stately house and considerable farm holding owned by the late John Carrigan and his family. This land is directly adjacent to Pitch 2 and would certainly be the easiest to access were additional pitches to be added. But, would Coolmore be willing to sell? Perhaps, having already taken on the naming rights to the training facility, there might be a willingness to sit down and discuss the possibility.

Conservative estimates would suggest that it would cost north of €1million to provide an additional pitch when land acquisition, legal fees, planning, development and construction costs including floodlighting are taken into account. Admittedly, overall costs drop when a second 'added' field comes into play, but the County Board would not have much change out of €2million were such a proposal to be on the table.

You cannot blame Tipperary County Board for planning though. The demands on the pitches in Coolmore Morris Park are growing by the season and with the split season now, there is a significant portion of heavy scheduling occurring in less than favourable ground conditions. Tipperary Camogie and Ladies Football also get use of it from time to time, and with integration on the horizon, greater equality will ensure they get greater access to Morris Park. This means that wear and tear on the pitches is considerable and therefore so too are maintenance costs.

The Board has a long term agreement with TUS - formerly LIT Tipperary - to partner in the provision of a 4G pitch at the campus on the Nenagh Road. This ambitious plan was unveiled a decade ago, but not one sod has been turned in the ground yet and the prospects of it happening any time soon are not so good. By the time it does happen - if it happens - this year's U6 players could be playing senior.

In recent years, the County Board has been fortunate to be able to call on the all-weather community pitches in Fethard Town Park to help with fixture congestion when weather is inclement. This is a real bonus - it was provided by Coolmore by the way - but it does come at a considerable cost. Each hour at the venue costs money - more money than would be taken in at the gates, one would imagine. So, should the Board go for broke and look at something similar? Where would it be located? How would it be run? How would it be funded?

Board Treasurer Eleanor Lahart told delegates that funding from the Win a House fundraiser is being ringfenced for facility development. She also pointed out that the current cashflow issues, long term finances and future facility development costs are being worked on through a partnership deal with OKC who will assist with the ambitious plans in the area of future financial sponsorships, partnerships and fundraising initiatives with individuals and organisations that support Tipperary GAA.

Furthermore, a five year infrastructure funding programme of €1.2million from the Munster Council fund is now being diverted in full to bankroll critical works in FBD Semple Stadium. The result of this is that the County Board will have not one red cent available to them for other facility development work for at least four years. And, it has been made clear to the Board executives that Tipperary GAA has a financial responsibility to maintain Semple Stadium going forward and therefore must make provision for works in future budgets.

The estimated cost of up-grading Semple Stadium is in the region of €8million and outgoing Semple Stadium Management Committee Chairperson Con Hogan told delegates that €1.4million is needed urgently to install a hybrid pitch so that the surface can take the amount of traffic it currently is expected to - remember, the pitch was closed for six weeks earlier this year due to wear and tear.

The other element which must be factored into any future developments is the ongoing costs of maintenance. The moment a new pitch is commissioned; or a new dressing-room is opened; or a refurb is completed; ongoing costs accrue. Maintaining the facilities, cutting the grass, paying for the floodlights, servicing the boilers and pumps all costs money - that's often forgotten when lofty ideas of extensions and redevelopments are being mooted.

There will be big demand on the finances of Tipperary County Board in the coming years. Expect to see many more fundraisers in the pipeline in order for the resources to match the ambition. You would think though, that a long-term, sustainable, steady source of income will be necessary if the ambitions are to become reality.