There’s something sacred about All-Ireland Sunday. The colour, the songs, the sense of shared history, it’s Ireland at its proudest. As the final whistle nears and hearts beat faster in the stands and sittingrooms across the country, the players become more than athletes. They become symbols of county pride, of sacrifice, of identity.
But here’s the truth the crowd won’t see: the 30 players who take the field this Sunday, the heroes we will celebrate, are carrying the weight of it all at a personal cost.
Almost everyone working in Croke Park on All-Ireland Sunday will be paid for their role. Ticket sellers, catering staff, analysts, physios and broadcasters are all rightly compensated for their time and expertise. It’s a world away from the volunteer spirit that defines our local clubs. And yet, the players, the reason we all gather, will return to the dressingroom having given everything, only to be left out of pocket. That’s the quiet reality of being an intercounty player today.
According to independent research commissioned by the GPA, players absorb an average of €4,602 per year in unreimbursed costs, despite a charter in place with the GAA. Behind that figure is a lifestyle shaped by elite demands. Players are expected to follow a high-protein, high-carbohydrate diet just to recover and perform. That kind of nutrition doesn’t come cheap.
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And that’s just what they spend. When you factor in missed overtime, paused careers, academic sacrifices and lost personal opportunities, the real cost is far greater, with long-term impacts on lifetime earnings. These are not just athletes. They are students, apprentices, teachers, tradespeople and parents.
As GPA chief executive I’ve seen this up close. I’ve spoken to players stepping away, not because they’ve fallen out of love with the game, but because their families simply can’t shoulder the financial burden. I’ve seen students scraping together rent in Dublin or choosing between sleep and a shift to stay afloat.
There’s one moment I’ll never forget. After an All-Ireland final, I sat on the team bus beside a young Mayo player. He had just played the game of his life. Still in his match gear, he quietly rang his mum and asked, almost shyly, if she could Revolut him €70 so he could go out with the team. That moment stuck with me. A young man who had just given everything, in front of a national TV audience, unable to afford a night out with his team-mates. That’s the reality few ever see.
Could any of the students playing this weekend, or any summer weekend, be working in a bar the night before a match? Not a chance. Their weekends are consumed by recovery, preparation, travel and pressure. Yet the financial safety net simply isn’t there.
And still, they show up. They give their time, their bodies, their best years, not for money, but for pride. For the honour of representing their communities, their counties and our games. That’s what makes Gaelic games extraordinary. The amateur ethos is at the heart of it all and it’s something worth protecting.
But here’s where the challenge lies. Olympic and professional athletes rightly receive State support through carding schemes, tax relief and direct investment. Intercounty players, because of their amateur status, don’t qualify for most of these. Instead, the 30 players who line out this Sunday receive a State grant, which is €1,400 annually, to help cover expenses like car insurance, fuel, food and physio.
This isn’t about professionalising the game. It’s about sustaining it. The recent Indecon report is clear: intercounty players are central to an ecosystem that generates €591 million in economic impact, supports 4,200 jobs, and contributes €62 million in tax annually.
Intercounty games generate the vast majority of GAA revenue. The GAA reinvests 83 cents of every euro back into clubs, coaching and infrastructure; a world-class model. But the players, the heartbeat of it all, are being asked to carry more than their fair share.
That’s why the GPA is calling for increased State support, not to undermine amateurism, but to preserve it, to protect the soul of our games and the players who make them possible. Because without them, there is no spectacle. Without action we risk losing them, not only injury or burnout, but to financial strain.
This is a respectful but urgent call to Government, Sport Ireland and all those in positions of influence. These players don’t seek praise, but they do deserve recognition; in policy, in improved funding and in action.
This Sunday, the whole country will win. But if nothing changes, the players will continue to lose.
And that’s a story we can’t keep repeating.
Tom Parsons is a former Mayo footballer and is the chief executive of the Gaelic Players Association
