As Dublin’s dominance not just of Leinster but of Ireland continues, questions persist about finances, population and potentially levelling the playing field.
On Thursday’s GAA Hour Show, Colm Parkinson quizzed Leinster Council CEO Michael Reynolds about plans and strategies to make the province more competitive.
Colm Parkinson: Dublin is actually population wise, games development money-wise, commercial income-wise – a match for the rest of Leinster.
Dublin’s income in 2019 was €5.24 million. They made €1 million in profit, is there an argument to say that funding to Dublin can be given to other counties now? Because of Dublin’s financial and commercial might – they are actually putting money away and that they could be self sufficient?
Reynolds admits that these statistics are challenging and while he doesn’t see Dublin being split in the near future, he did reference some steps the province has taken to address the issue.
“It’s a challenge. Dublin is a major challenge for not alone Leinster, but for all of us. We’re working on that. Counties are working on that, trying to bring standards up,” he began.
“I personally don’t see Dublin being split, I don’t see any stomach for that in the next couple of years. Unless it’s willingly happens within a county, I can’t see it happening.”
Rather than taking money away from Dublin, Reynolds feels providing other counties with more resources should be the main focus. He references the East Leinster project, which he says was funded by €200’000 of what would have been Dublin games development money.
“I would actually go the other way rather than taking money away from Dublin, I would say we have to try and give more resources to the other counties.
“In the last 12 months, we have been working to increase the games staff in all of the other counties. We still have to raise standards even more.
“Going back to the funding point. There’s definitely a number of them doing equally as well as Dublin funding wise. Some of the funding was reduced, €200’000 of it was taken away as well to help fund the east Leinster project. That project is moving onto the rest of Leinster now…”
Meanwhile, the Irish Independent is reporting that star forward Paul Mannion has pulled out of the Dublin panel for the 2021 season. The Kilmacud Crokes man is just 27 and was one of Dublin’s main men between 2017 and 2019 – when he won three All-Stars – though he slipped down in the pecking order behind Paddy Small this year.
As for the 2021 GAA season, Reynolds feels the League and Championship will go ahead but stresses that some sort of external funding will be necessary to keep some counties afloat.
“I think we will have a League. It may have to go back a week or two, but so be it.
“Counties have to be helped. Most counties wouldn’t have regular income until the club championships in the summer, so I think we will have to consider helping to tide counties over and to keep the show on the road. Despite a lot of people’s misgivings, I think the sport leading up to Christmas really did give people a bit of a buzz…”
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