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Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Mayo GAA finances Q&A: Why were the GAA's top officials in Westport?
Even by Mayo's standards, it was an eventful few days. As the county came to terms with their footballers' unexpected home defeat by Cavan on the first weekend of the All-Ireland series , word emerged on the Friday of last week that GAA president Jarlath Burns and director general Tom Ryan would be arriving in Westport's Knockranny House Hotel the following Monday to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Mayo county committee. Speculation was that they would be addressing financial issues, believed to centre on allegations that included a charge that Croke Park had not passed a reduction negotiated with the bank after it had assumed responsibility for loans taken out by Mayo. By then football manager Kevin McStay had suffered a medical episode at training last Saturday and it was announced just before Monday's meeting that he would be stepping back from his involvement with the team, leaving assistant and coach Stephen Rochford in charge of affairs for this weekend's critical group match against Tyrone in Omagh . How did we get here? The problem began with the redevelopment of MacHale Park in Castlebar, which was completed at a cost of €18 million and opened in 2009, not great timing in financial terms. READ MORE By 2014, Croke Park had loaned Mayo €5 million and taken over an additional, consolidated €5 million as part of a scheme to alleviate distressed loans to GAA units. Last Monday, the GAA's most senior officials were attending the meeting in Westport to deal, inter alia, with allegations that a debt 'haircut' of 50 per cent had not been passed on to the county. What happened? GAA director general (DG) Tom Ryan dealt with the matter of the loan – eventually – after the meeting had opened with condemnation of the intimidatory treatment suffered on social media by county officers and others in the GAA. Ryan, previously the association's director of finance, explained that the outstanding loan, confirmed at €7.8 million, was based on the original total of €10 million – two loans at €5 million each, the second, Loan B, of which had been taken over from Ulster Bank. He strenuously denied that Croke Park had failed to extend the whole reduction to Mayo, saying that it in fact represented 'one of the highest single-value discounts' obtained by any GAA unit. But what does that mean? Ryan outlined that a €1 million reduction on Loan B had been secured, in other words 20 per cent, as opposed to the alleged 50 per cent. The €1 million remains on the balance sheet but reduces as the rest of the loan is paid. Repayments have been brought down over the past 10 years from €46,000 per month to the current €25,000, now payable over 32 years at 1.9 per cent. The DG has a reputation for measured presentation and was very effective, for instance, when the GAA were before the Oireachtas committee on sport and media for its hearings on the 'future of sports broadcasting' and more specifically the GAAGO streaming service. Those present were largely convinced by what he had to say on the loan and the passing on of the discount. Everyone is happy, so? GAA president Jarlath Burns with GAA director general Tom Ryan. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho Although there was no counting of hands, there is believed to have been more or less unanimous support for the officers at a vote taken afterwards. Delegates, who were looking for dissent, report that they didn't see hands not raised and no objections were raised. There is a difference of opinion though between those who attended the meeting, who were impressed and persuaded by Ryan's presentation, and those who weren't present, some of whom felt unconvinced by what they heard back and viewed as vague details. As one said, the priority should have been to equip members with the tools to refute the rumours, which they felt hadn't been done. One delegate acknowledged that financial details can be hard for delegates. 'They come from clubs, which have a different approach. You fundraise – you build. You're not dealing with balance sheets. You're dealing with a set of accounts,' the delegate said. This isn't peculiar to Mayo but a fact of life in a voluntary organisation where there is a growing list of demands on the time of officers given the expanding governance requirement. To cope with this, counties are now required to have an audit and risk committee to advise the treasurer on governance matters and to report back at least annually to provincial and national equivalents. How did abusive social media activity become an issue? After this year's league final in which Kerry beat Mayo, Burns in his presentation speech expressed support for and solidarity with Mayo officers, who had been under fire because of these allegations. At Monday night's meeting, this online hostility was highlighted with examples shown to delegates in an unexpected presentation by county secretary Ronan Kirrane. County chairman Seamus Tuohy said: 'The nature of this campaign includes threatening and abusive emails targeted at individual members of the county board, social media posts making a raft of false accusations about officers of the county board as well as inaccurate and defamatory articles that were published online.' Burns added that the communications had 'gone way beyond' anything that could be 'considered acceptable.' Was the initial emphasis on the abuse of officers counterproductive? Even by Mayo's standards, it was an eventful few days. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho For some outside the meeting it was unhelpful, generating too much smoke and giving the opportunity to depict it as deflection. For others in attendance, it was of sufficient scale and gravity to merit being raised. Not everyone would have been familiar with what had happened. 'It was shocking,' according to one of those present. What about the five players? A strange addendum to the presentation on abuse of officers came from Burns. 'I'll tell you one example of toxic activity,' he said. 'I received an email saying 'are you aware that there are five members of the Mayo senior football panel living in Dublin in an area where it is not laid out for residential use? I am reporting those five players to Dublin City Council .'' The players under threat left what is believed to have been a customised warehouse space but for some of those present, it was an odd line to take. After all, in this case the whistle-blowing appeared to be justified. 'If I were Mayo GAA, I'd be ashamed that our players were living in those conditions,' said one, 'and not drawing attention to it.' What now? Nobody is quite sure whether enough has been done to quell any disquiet but delegates and officers clearly want to move on. There have been recent suggestions that the county might commit €15 million to a centre of excellence, the lack of which former Mayo manager James Horan recently lamented on the Examiner football podcast. Presumably, with a legacy debt hanging around – albeit with flattened repayments – for another three decades, a major infrastructural project would have to be funded in advance.
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Mother pleads guilty to exposing her child to assault, ill-treatment and neglect
A woman whose former husband subjected their young daughter to a litany of sexual abuse, including rape on an almost daily basis, pleaded guilty at a Tuesday sitting of the Circuit Criminal Court to cruelty to a child, contrary to the Children's Act 1908. The offender, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty on an amended indictment before a jury at Castlebar Courthouse to two sample charges that she exposed her child to assault, ill-treatment and neglect in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to her health. The mother's ex-husband is currently serving an 18- year prison sentence for the offences. Garda Insp Thomasina McHale, responding to prosecuting counsel Patricia McLaughlin SC, told the court the investigation into the victim's mother was secondary to an extensive historical sexual abuse allegation involving the victim's father. READ MORE Insp McHale said the abuse against the victim occurred between 1988 and 2001, when she was aged between three and 16. 'It happened on a daily basis,' the officer stated. 'It happened in multiple rooms in the house, frequently in the bathroom, the sittingroom, her parents' bedroom, her bedroom, and in the car as well.' Defence counsel Desmond Dockery SC told the court the accused was pleading guilty to two counts, on a full facts basis, of wilfully exposing a child to ill-treatment in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury. Counsel added that she was not pleading to having knowledge of the depth, extent, depravity and nature of the abuse committed, although there were signs and reasons for her to suspect that her daughter had been subject to some inappropriate attention. Ms McLaughlin, prosecuting counsel, said it was not the prosecution case that the accused witnessed all of the actual acts that happened, but it was certainly the prosecution case that the acts were happening at such a frequency, in multiple rooms in the house on a daily basis, that she certainly knew something inappropriate was happening to her daughter. Remanding the accused on continuing bail, Judge Sinead McMullan put back sentencing until October for mention. The judge acceded to a request from Mr Dockery for psychological assessment for the accused as well a Probation Report, 'given the peculiar nature of the case', in the words of the senior counsel.
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Galway battle through wind and rain to retain Connacht crown against Mayo
Connacht SFC final: Galway 0-16 Mayo 1-4 Galway are the Connacht SFC champions for the 19th time after successfully retaining their crown in Castlebar on Sunday. An early six-point lead spearheaded by Róisín Leonard and Olivia Divilly was never surrendered despite Sinead Walsh finding the net from the penalty spot for Mayo in the second half. Galway had the assistance of a stiff wind for the first half but Mayo kept things tight in defence. The Tribeswomen eventually broke through when Leonard converted a free on 11 minutes. They doubled that advantage two minutes later when Divilly to fire over a score. READ MORE The defending champions continued through a Leonard double, the second a skilful shot off the outside of her boot after taking Lynsey Noone's pass. Divilly and Leonard brought Galway's total to six before Mayo started finding space at the other end. As the sun broke through the rain, Hannah Reape was fouled, allowing Walsh to open her account. The reprieve was short-lived as Divilly got her third, but Mayo hit back with Erin Murray fisting over on 28 minutes. But Galway pushed on to the break, Nicola Ward and Hannah Noone making it 0-9 to 0-2 for half-time. *FULL TIME* 🏆 GALWAY add a Connacht title to their NFL title from earlier this season! 🏆🏆 📺 — Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) Even against the elements after the restart, Galway continued building their advantage as Leonard's free was followed by further points for Ward and Hannah Noone to put 10 between the sides on 40 minutes. Mayo had threatened shortly before when Kathryn Sullivan hit the crossbar, but another opportunity came when substitute Clodagh Keane was pushed drawing the penalty. Walsh then slotted low to best Dearbhla Gower. Mayo came close again on 48 minutes, but this time Gower was on the money, her boot denying Keane the host's a second goal. At the other end, Galway registered the next two white flags through Ailbhe Davoren and a Divilly free. A Walsh brace brought Mayo's deficit back to 0-14 to 1-4 but Galway's substitutes had the final say as Eva Noone and Shauna Hynes signed the scoresheet. Galway now advance to take on Donegal and Tipperary in the All-Ireland series while Mayo will face Cork and the Munster champions. GALWAY: D Gower; B Quinn, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty; H Noone, N Ward (0-2), C Trill; L Ward, S Divilly; L Noone (0-2), K Thompson, A Davoren (0-1); O Divilly (0-4, 1f), R Leonard (0-5, 4f), K Slevin. Subs: S Hynes (0-1) for Thompson (37), E Noone (0-1) for L Noone (45), A Trill for Leonard (47), A Ní Cheallaigh for C Trill (51), L Coen for Davoren (51). MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O'Malley, C Durkan; D Caldwell, H Reape, S Lally; E Murray (0-1), C Whyte; E Brennan, K Sullivan, A McDonnell; S Walsh (1-3, 1-0 pen, 2f), C Doherty, S El Massry. Subs: B Hession for Doherty (HT), C Keane for McDonnell (HT), L Hanley for Whyte (47), S McNulty for Sullivan (51), A Devereux for Brennan (57). Referee: J Niland (Sligo).
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Cavan and Spurs enjoy feeling of defying the odds and ending a drought
It's not often, perhaps, that you'd link Spurs and Cavan's sporting fortunes, but in the space of four days, they both found a different way to slay a badger to bring to an end lengthy droughts. Until Wednesday night in Bilbao, it had been 17 years since Spurs got their paws on silverware , and on Sunday in Castlebar, it had been 77 years since Cavan beat Mayo in the championship. Yes, admittedly, the links are tenuous, but a sporting drought is a sporting drought. And there's no little joy when they end. Not that Paul Fitzpatrick, the sports editor of the Anglo-Celt newspaper, had time to celebrate on his way home to Cavan on Sunday. ' I had reports to write of discarded pitchforks and slain badgers and famous wins and generations of the same family, 77 years apart, in the same colours, fighting the same fight. That's the beauty of it and that's why, despite it all, we love it.' For quite a while, Limerick's hurlers and Dublin's footballers had no trouble slaying badgers at all , but they'd lost their killer instinct of late. Last weekend? 'An old lion is still a lion,' writes Ciarán Murphy after seeing them prove there's life in the old dogs yet, just to add another creature to the mix. 'Watching Limerick and Dublin, with 14 All-Ireland titles between them in the last 15 years, was a case study in greatness,' he says. Dublin's hurlers are hoping for a memorable day themselves when they play Galway on Sunday, the meeting 'effectively a playoff to meet Kilkenny in the provincial decider' . Gordon Manning talks to Dublin's Seán Currie ahead of the game, and he also previews this evening's Special Congress vote on the skorts issue , detailing all you need to know about the event. READ MORE And after Uefa attempted to confirm the qualification process for Euro 2028 on Wednesday, David Gorman brings you a Q&A to explain the convoluted business. Put it this way: the Republic of Ireland, co-hosts for the tournament, might automatically qualify - and, well, might not. In cricket, Nathan Johns reports on a mighty fine day for Ireland at Castle Avenue where they beat the West Indies by a chunky 124 runs in the first of their three-match ODI series, Andrew Balbirnie helping himself to a century. In rugby, John O'Sullivan hails the impact of the IRFU's much under-reported 'A' Interprovincial Championship , which Leinster won last weekend. And in his America at Large column, Dave Hannigan writes about the oft beleaguered New York Knicks faithful having the 'time of their lives' this weather. Granted, they lost the opening game of their NBA Eastern Conference best-of-seven series against The Indiana Pacers last night, but after knocking out the reigning champion Boston Celtics last Friday, 'this team has the city believing anything is possible'. TV Watch: Scottie Scheffler's US PGA Championship celebrations didn't last long, he's back in action at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas today (Sky Sports Golf, 5pm) - and he's aiming for his third Tour victory in a row, having won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson before his trip to Quail Hollow.
Irish Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Passive and structured Mayo look like overthinking it in the new-rules order
The one saving grace for Mayo might be that almost nobody saw their defeat to Cavan on Sunday. It wasn't on RTÉ, it wasn't on GAA+, the official attendance at Castlebar was just 7,387 – a miserable crowd, in every sense of the word. And plenty of them were gone before the final whistle. That's not how it works though. Particularly not in Mayo. Nick Hornby's contention in his classic book Fever Pitch rings 100 per cent true here – listening to your team play on the radio always makes things worse in your imagination than it is in reality. It's one thing Mayo losing to Cavan for the first time since 1948 and for the first time at home. It's another when your people are already predisposed to think the worst anyway. Mayo people will tell anyone who'll listen that this has been coming. The casual observer will point to the fact that they've been in the final of the league and the Connacht Championship this season already. And when the casual observer does so within earshot of the Mayo supporter, the casual observer will be told to get stuffed. Sure they made the league final by accident. Sure they struggled to beat Leitrim in the Connacht semi-final. READ MORE No, whatever about Kevin McStay and his management team's hold over the actual Mayo dressingroom – and to be fair, there has been no suggestion of unrest or unhappiness there – the wider dressingroom within the county has gradually been ebbing away over the past three years. Even allowing for the slightly unglamorous fixture, getting less than 8,000 into MacHale Park for the opening game of the All-Ireland series tells its own story. On specifics, there are a few main problems. For one, at a brass tacks level, Mayo don't score enough. If this was a problem that might not necessarily have been fatal under the old rules, it's going to catch up with you eventually under the new ones. There had to be a limited future in the fact that Mayo finished top of Division One in the league despite being the lowest scorers in it. They got to the Connacht final without kicking a single two-pointer. They tried for eight of them against Galway in Castlebar a fortnight ago but only landed two. There's an old NFL maxim – you're either coaching it or you're allowing it. Whatever work Mayo have done behind closed doors on creating and taking two-point chances, it hasn't translated to the arena. They have played four games in this championship so far and in none of them have they raised more orange flags than the opposition. Only one of those games was against Division One opposition. Which leads neatly on to the second major grumble Mayo people have about their team, that they're altogether too passive and too careful in possession. The contrast between their steady, sensible build-up play on Sunday and the flying support running of Cavan in transition was stark. Aidan O`Shea of Mayo in action against Cavan. Photograph: ©INPHO/James Lawlor Ray Galligan deserves major credit for lighting a fire under his charges after they limped meekly out of Ulster against Tyrone. Funny enough, maybe the only Sam Maguire county whose support base was as down in the mouth about their own prospects as Mayo was Cavan. But they came to Castlebar to play at championship pace, full of direct running and at least some element of risk-taking. Mayo, as has been their way for long stretches this season, were far more methodical and one-paced. For whatever reason, they often look like they haven't fully embraced the new game. For a county that thrived in creating chaos within the suffocating strictures of the old rules, they look hesitant to submit to any form of it now. That needn't be fatal, of course. As the weeks go by, more and more teams are finding ways to keep the ball for longer and longer. Everyone is so conditioned to possession football by now and Mayo don't owe you exciting transitions and glorious kick-passes into the big man on the edge of the square any more than Donegal or Armagh or Louth do. But the thing that made Mayo special over the past decade and a half was always that feeling that when the needle went into the red, they could go to places where other teams would simply wilt. If a game was going a million miles an hour, it was the other crowd who tried to slow it down and gain some measure of control over the whole thing. Now it is Mayo who do that. Which would be fine – if they were winning. McStay and his brains trust look to have decided that all the years of chaos and carnival were ultimately not the answer and that if they are going to reach the top of the mountain, they'll have to do it in a much steadier, more structured manner. It makes some logical sense, certainly. But when you're losing at home in front of a tiny crowd to a lower division team, it smacks of overthinking.
