Co Board pays out to excluded ladies clubs

POT Dispute over split of McManus funds

Cavan County GAA Board has been forced to reassess how it distributes a €1M gift from the JP McManus Charitable Foundation after half a dozen ladies teams were left out of the pot and a follow-up letter issued from the foundation clarifying the terms of its donation.

LGFA teams Drumalee, Ballinagh, Kildallan and Cootehill Celtic, and camogie clubs in Shercock and Bailieborough missed out when the Limerick billionaire’s donation was being divvied out.

McManus’s original accompanying letter specified for the money to be shared by the GAA, camogie and ladies gaelic football clubs in each county.

There are approximately 80 clubs in Cavan but some are integrated under one banner, as is preferred GAA policy.

The latest donation comes five years after McManus gifted €100,000 to each county board. This time around, a total of 79 clubs - 40 football clubs, three hurling, 28 ladies football and eight camogie - were set to benefit to the tune of €12,658 each following a decision by the Board in January.

The splitting of the funds was agreed after the county board held discussions with the Cavan LGFA and camogie boards, an outcome then voted on and passed by County Board delegates.

Their initial decision only factored in clubs with a senior team at adult level, as defined in the GAA rulebook. However, under LGFA rules, a club is recognised once they are registered and have playing members at any age.

Croke Park was made aware of the situation, as was the LGFA at national level, and a list of registered and eligible clubs as per LGFA rules was forwarded to Cavan GAA asking them to “urgently inform their management committee” and to furthermore “reconsider the decision” and include “all eligible LGFA clubs”.

A letter was also written to the board by Gerard P. Boland, director of the JP McManus Benevolent Fund, seen by The Anglo-Celt, which reminded the local GAA heirarchy of the “direction” with which the funds were to be distributed.

“I confirm that it is the intention that all registered GAA, Camogie and Ladies Gaelic Football Clubs throughout the country should benefit from the donations made, and no registered clubs should be excluded,” said Mr Boland.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the chairperson of Cavan LGFA.

The Celt understands that, following the intervention,

the GAA County Board met last week to discuss the matter. It subsequently came to an arrangement to pay over monies from the overall donation to each of the six local ladies clubs previously excluded.

It’s understood that all eligible clubs should still get just over €12,000 each.

There are some stipulations as to how all county clubs are to spend the awarded money.

It is not for operational purposes and must be used for capital projects, health and well-being, language promotion and integration among other headings.

Cavan GAA County Board has been contacted for comment.