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The Dublin team celebrate with the Sam Maguire after completing the six-in-a-row. Morgan Treacy/INPHO

Ex-Westmeath footballer hoping to bring motion addressing Dublin funding to GAA Congress

John Connellan has written to clubs and county boards nationwide.

A GROUP OF GAA members led by former Westmeath footballer John Connellan are hoping to bring a motion to the Associationโ€™s Annual Congress in 2022 that would see the Dublin funding imbalance addressed.

Connellan, who has been vocal on the issue in recent months, has written to every club and county board outside Dublin in an effort to gain support for a motion that calls for games development funding to be provided to counties on an โ€œequal basis per registered GAA member.โ€

It is hoped the motion will progress from club AGMs and county board conventions this year to Congress in 2022.

โ€œThe approval of this motion would bring about an immediate end to the disproportionate level of funding that many counties and players outside of Dublin are aggrieved with and feel has led to the complete dominance of the Dublin senior football team in both mens and ladies football in recent years,โ€ said Connellan in a press release.

The Athlone clubman said a detailed analysis was provided to clubs and county boards that shows how โ€œDublin have received โ‚ฌ14.16 per person with only โ‚ฌ5 allocated per head of population outside of Dublin, nearly three times higher.โ€

He continued: โ€œFurthermore, it highlights the disparity in funding between this yearโ€™s two All Ireland finalists. Mayo during 2010-2014, received โ‚ฌ22.30 per registered club player in the county while Dublin by stark contrast, received over ten times this amount in the same period, at โ‚ฌ270.70 per club registered players.

โ€œThere were calls at the Mayo GAA Convention in 2019 that a motion be placed at Annual Congress to address this unfairness. In addition, following this yearโ€™s All Ireland final, current Offaly County Board Chairman and media pundit, Michael Duignan made similar calls.

โ€œThe document has outlined in its analysis how most Dublin GAA clubs have seen a doubling of its membership income, with some clubs now taking in excess of โ‚ฌ500,000 per annum, it cites the sizeable sponsorship deals that Dublin clubs are now achieving, with one Dublin club not even at Senior A level, securing a five year deal totalling โ‚ฌ175,000 or โ‚ฌ35,000 per annum that many counties outside of Dublin would find hard to achieve.

โ€œThe document outlines how Dublin GAA is now self-sustainable with no need for a continuance of the coaching and development funding from Croke Park with Dublin County Board itself achieving a โ‚ฌ2.7 million surplus on its operations in its last published accounts.โ€

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    Mute Adrian Carroll
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    Oct 19th 2015, 10:43 PM

    And what about Danny Graham for pushing McClean or the abuse that Sunderland fans shouted at McClean throughout the game? Whatโ€™s the fines or warnings for them?

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    Mute Ciaran McCann
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    Oct 19th 2015, 10:49 PM

    Funny thing was Lee Cattermore of all people lecturing!!

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Oct 20th 2015, 12:02 AM

    And if you know your history!!!

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    Mute Thomas Kenneally
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    Oct 19th 2015, 10:40 PM

    knob

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    Mute Ronan McDermott
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    Oct 20th 2015, 1:45 AM

    My personal opinion is Sunderland were the club that gave him his chance and paycheque outside the loi. He should be a big enough man to get on with it and not infuriate them. Thereโ€™s only one thing worse than a bad loser and thatโ€™s a bad winner. Suck it up princess.

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    Mute Michael Bullock
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    Oct 20th 2015, 7:18 AM

    did you read his personal opinion where he said he felt that Sunderland hung him out to dryโ€ฆ? and after getting dogs abuse for 90mins would you not want to show them some defiance? I know I wouldโ€ฆ fair play to the man for sticking up for what he believes in!

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    Mute N O hUallaigh
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    Oct 20th 2015, 2:03 PM

    so because a club pays your wage you should act like an indentured slave and not question anything?

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    Mute Ronan McDermott
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    Oct 21st 2015, 12:44 AM

    No I didnโ€™t read his opinion. He has lots of opinions on lots of things. I donโ€™t see how he could be hung out to dry. Football is a business. A business where cry babies like him earn in s day what some people earn in a year.

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    Mute Flex
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    Oct 20th 2015, 12:04 AM

    Absolute Tit

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    Mute PScald
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    Oct 21st 2015, 10:12 PM

    I think his poppy stance is honorable but this kind of crap doesnโ€™t help his case

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