The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has turned over €7.5 million and the average salary for the 10 employees is €65,000 according to their 2019 annual report.
RTE state that the Gaelic Players Association programmes and player welfare programmes accounted for 81% of that total. This coming in at just over €2.6 million. However, the accounts show that comphrensive income dropped significantly from €306,300 in 2018 to just €87,674 in 2019. Employment costs came in at €647,127, meaning an average salary of just short of €65,000 as reported above.
In terms of player development 1448 players engaged in programes. This represents a 31% increase on that of 2018. When this was broken it was found that on average 121 players per month or six every day of the week.
Grants of €3m from the government accounted for 40% of revenue. Commercial income brought in around €1m, while the Gaelic Players Association own fundraising activities accounted for 8% of overall revenue. €611,994 was also raised through different activities such as New York and Boston GAA dinners. Former Dublin player and GPA CEO Paul Flynn said, player welfare will continue to be the focus of everything the GPA does.
He said, “My priority is keeping you at the centre of all our actions and to reinforce our three core pillars of pPlayer representation, player development and player welfare. These pillars, with the player at the centre of everything we do, will continue to be our focus”. Mr Flynn continued, “We believe that we need to work towards building a modern form of sustainable amateurism where you have balance between your playing, personal and professional lives.”
The full report can be viewed on the Gaelic Players Association official website.
