Donegal face up to financial shortfall

GAA:THE DONEGAL County Board are the latest branch of the GAA to run into financial difficulty after it emerged they must find half a million euro in order to finance their affairs in 2011.

County treasurer Séamus O’Donnell announced at this week’s meeting of the county committee that some €486,400 has to be found to cover costs of developing the new Centre of Excellence in Convoy, and which has to be paid to the developer by the end of next month. On that basis a projected loss of €480,750 was being forecast, based on an expenditure figure of €1,162,000 and projected income of only €681,250.

To address the shortfall Donegal officials will meet representation from Croke Park next Friday, before the annual Congress, in Mullingar, to seek a loan to bridge the cost of the development. The biggest source of income to the board’s books are the levies from clubs and divisional boards, which make up €220,000. The board is overdrawn by €30,869.73, although it was explained this wasn’t an unusual scenario at this time of year, with some clubs’ levies being paid in instalments.

Elsewhere, Monaghan manager Eamonn McEneaney has no complaints about the “confusion” that ended his team’s Ulster under-21 campaign, although he must wonder when his luck will change. A couple of near misses in the National League leaves his senior team fighting to avoid relegation going into Sunday’s final round, against Mayo, and on top of that came Wednesday’s narrow defeat to Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final.

He’s also in charge of the under-21s, and although some Monaghan supporters were aggrieved at the nature of Wednesday’s defeat, McEneaney is taking the defeat on the chin. But there was some confusion in the closing moments when the scoreboard showed Tyrone having a two-point lead, 0-12 to 1-7, when in fact they were only one point up: 0-11 to 1-7. Monaghan were awarded a late free, and Pete Dooney kicked the ball into the square, instead of attempting an equalising point, apparently in the belief that only a goal would save Monaghan.

“There was some confusion,” admits McEneaney, “about whether Tyrone were leading by one point, or two points. What happened was the referee had just disallowed a Tyrone point, for the player palming the ball over the bar. There was a lot going on, a few late substitutions, the noise of the crowd as well, and maybe for that reason the score still stayed up on the scoreboard. Some of our players weren’t sure if we were one point down, or two points down, but I’m not altogether sure.

“But at the end of the day that’s not why we lost we match. There’s no point dwelling on ifs and buts. When the game is over it’s over. It’s unfortunate, the way it happened, and maybe things could have been clearer towards the end . . . we should have been four or five points clear at half-time, instead of just two. We just didn’t take our chances, put them away when we should have.”

So while Tyrone progress to play Cavan in the Ulster under-21 final, set for Brewster Park in Enniskillen next Wednesday evening, Monaghan host Mayo in Inniskeen on Sunday, knowing only a victory will keep alive their chances of escaping relegation to Division Two. But they also need Cork to beat Armagh, and Dublin to beat Galway, to be sure of being sure.

McEneaney isn’t being fooled into thinking Mayo will be softer opponents given they have nothing to play for – they can’t be relegated, but a place in the final is out of reach – the assumption being their foot will be off the gas, and key players will be rested before the championship. “If anything Mayo can come here relaxed, and play a more, free-flowing football . . . At least we have something to play for, but it will come down to two or three other things, even if we win,” says McEneaney.