On top of a record county final attendance last Sunday week, Leitrim GAA this year has seen the biggest club championship gate receipts to
date.
If the packed attendances at club games through- out the county this season was an indicator of healthy times for Leitrim GAA, then the record attendance of 4,000 people at the recent county fi nal is surely a sign of an organisation that is going from strength to strength.
Indeed, so far this year the GAA are heading for a record year as the club championship gate receipts are up on previous years.
When you add in the fact this year’s terrible summer weather wasn’t exactly conducive to getting one out of the house and down to the park, then the results so far, say a lot about both the strength of the county organisation and the quality of games on offer.
GAA chairman Gerry McGovern, who was very pleased with the record county final crowd, put record attendances down to games restructuring and facility improvements where the pride of Leitrim GAA, the new 3,000 seat and €3 million Pairc Sean had now become an attraction in itself.
“I am delighted at the record county final attendance and that the popularity of the championships is going up,” said Mr McGovern.
“The standard both at Senior and Intermediate level has risen because of the reduced number of teams in competition and this has been a big factor in increased attendances as the games are more competitive with better quality football on offer.
“Also, the provision of the new Pairc Sean facility is another big factor, as people can now go to the new stand and enjoy a game in comfort.”
Mr McGovern said that the final phase fund raising drive for the Pairc Sean development had just been launched where a series of forthcoming regional meetings with clubs will be held, to request their aid in the paying off of the remaining debt on the new state -of-the -art stand.
According to outgoing treasurer, Jim Meehan, approximately €800,000 in the space of nine months has some far been raised which he added was
an extraordinary fi gure for a county the size of Leitrim. The chairman also stated that the new county training facility in Annaduff was on track and by the end of the month, the site for the laying of the ensuing all weather surfaces will be complete.