Outstanding levies well down with clubs finally paying up 

Donegal GAA treasurer Alan Boyd says last year’s outstanding club levies figure has been cut down from €82,000 to just under €11,000.

Boyd, in his last report to Convention at the end of his five-year term, credited clubs for getting on board with that valuable source of income. 

It was explained last term that clubs ran the risk, under a new ruling, of not being allowed to compete if their paid levies weren’t up to date. 

However, the Gaoth Dobhair clubman said he was confident that the remaining money, €10,641, will be in the bank before the end of the year.  

The Donegal treasurer's report revealed to delegates at Jackson’s Hotel, Ballybofey, that income for the year was €2,267,459, up from €2,013,054 in 2002 but expenditure was also up from €2,128,993 in 2022 to €2,407,554 for the year ended in September 2023.

That left a deficit or net loss of €140,095.

In closing, Boyd explained it was a difficult year with an independent probe carried out in the administration of Donegal GAA. In total, he said he’d attended 118 meetings in total and was now looking forward to a break. 

He said: "Hopefully we've turned the corner. We're not the basket cases we’re made out to be. 

“The social media and stuff going out, it has been a difficult time. I did not enjoy this year. I wish the county well and I will try and help. But I just want a break”.

The audit report was carried out by Manus Brady. 

He stated: "The statements give a true financial view, as of September 2023, and have been properly prepared. 

“We were only appointed recently, and, independent from the county board, and have fulfilled our responsibility. We have not identified any material that is of uncertainly”,

CCC business 

Ardara delegate John McConnell expressed a concern in relation to underage formats and the gap he says has opened up between big and small clubs. In the last decade, 72 underage titles have been handed out with just six clubs accounting for 59 of those. 

John Haran, St Eunan’s, also said it was time that reserve football, especially Divisions 1 and 3 were littered with ‘walkovers’ and that playing second sting club football has ‘lost a lot of prestige”. 

Competition Controls Committee chairman David McLoone said it’s a worthwhile discussion and one that will be heard at a later date. 

CCC secretary Ed Byrne referenced a recent Donegal Democrat article and insisted that no county board officer has ever asked a referee to change his official match report. 

Press relations 

Donegal PRO Fiona Shields, who steps down after just one year in the seat, took the chance to remind delegates to remind their clubs to implement their social media policies much more stringently. 

She said the level of abuse on the various channels is simply unacceptable and that clubs need to take the reins on reeling it in.