Success costs money but it also inspires and creates momentum - Mary Coughlan

Mary Coughlan says there is a price to success and that the cost of progressing Donegal GAA on has never been greater. 

However, speaking after Convention last Wednesday night in Ballybofey, the Donegal chairperson says that success also brings momentum. 

READ NEXT: In Pictures: Glenfin GAA host Donegal GAA Convention 2026

And headed into 2026, she insists there is a real will and want from both inside and outside the county, to continue to get behind our teams. 

The Montcharles native also emphasised the importance of county committee and the clubs in all of that and paid particular attention to the Donegal diaspora’s role in helping our teams 

move forward when it comes to finance and fund-raising.  

“Firstly, I’d like to thank CLG Ghleann Fhinne for hosting us,” she said after. “They are celebrating 50 years as a club and they left no stone unturned this evening. 

“It’s always important to realise the amount of work that people do. If you look at those individual reports of all the officers, they are very extensive, absolutely fantastic. 

“There has been a huge amount of work done by the executive, county committee and, at the end of the day, the clubs have been so supportive of us. 

“And that is one of, if not the most crucial thing in trying to push Donegal GAA to a better place year after year”. 

Treasurer Grace Boyle, in her report, had earlier outlined how the cost of running Donegal GAA significantly increased in 2025. Click here to read. 

Expenditure in 2025 increased from €3,037,735 to €3,7881,912, an increase of €744,177 but on the plus side, income increased by €857,000 from €3,139,591 to the staggering figure of just under €4m (€3,997,937).

Those are unprecedented figures and county teams account for the bulk of that expenditure at €2,094,330.

“The sustainability of every county, and club for that matter, it’s one of the things that can keep you awake at night,” Coughlan said on all of that. “It takes a huge amount of money to support our teams as well as the Donegal GAA Centre in Convoy. 

Declan Gallagher will tell you it takes €1,000 a week in fuel to run our generators. And they are going seven days a week. 

“There is a huge cost and maintenance there. The cost of supporting our Academy and our young people, that all adds up. 

“And listen, when you are successful, like the senior football team was, there are additional costs to that. 

“We had more overnight stays, the cost of food, fuel, accommodation and travel and all of that accumulates and has an impact. 

“Sustaining that is the issue. We have a huge amount of work done. Cieran Kelly and his fundraising team, Cairde as well as the diaspora, they have given a huge amount of support to us all”.

Meanwhile, Coughlan again reiterated the importance of the role that Donegal’s clubs play in making sure their inter-county sides are successful. 

And in the lead-up to Christmas, she said GAA clubs also can be a harbour for the lonely or those on their own. 

“It breaks my heart when I hear people in life saying they are lonely. Every community organisation is welcoming and always looking for help. The GAA is the exact same. 

“And you don’t have to be any type of expert in a particular field. You can be there to help, to support. Things like putting out flags, opening up gates, locking them, helping with car parks, in the kitchen and so on. 

“It’s a great way also to get to know people if you are new in the community. Being a part of a club, your club, and seeing them progress it just fills you with pride. 

“Yes, the administrative burden is higher than it ever has been. A lot of that comes down to making sure our children are safe. It’s paramount that our children are going to and from a safe environment.

“That said, I really do think there are too many rules and regulations in the GAA and we really have to look at that. It’s never-ending for so many people. But many hands make light work”. 

Finally, Convention took a particularly significant vote on Wednesday night which will relax the so-called Parish Rule and permit first-time members to play for a club outside their area of residence.

The Glenfin club proposed that players – children, predominantly – registering with the GAA for the first time should be allowed to join their father or mother’s home club.

“It will allow people to come into the smaller clubs,” Coughlan explained. “We get in a tizzy about boundaries in this county. And I come from a club where that is an important issue for us. 

“But at the end of the day, what are we supposed to do? The main thing is we present opportunities for our young people to be involved in the GAA and to play. 

“We have the demographics. It’s quite obvious we have a decrease in population in some areas and a rise in others. So we will have two issues in this country moving forward. 

“You’ll have large urban areas where we don’t have enough clubs where children are given the opportunity to participate. Then, we’ll have smaller clubs where they can’t participate at certain age groups. 

“If we can find some flexibility in the rules, regulations and by-laws to allow those children to come together at a certain stage in their lives and then go back to their clubs later on. Then, that would be hugely important. 

“Reserve football, for me, I love it. It’s where the older players drop down, the ones with experience, and they blend with the younger lads coming in looking to eventually progress to senior. 

“There is a bit more fun in it too. So we need to create differences and opportunities”.