Club Development Programme 1970 - To-Date
Year Development Expenditure

Running costs for GAA Clubs like any other amateur sports clubs is escalating every year. For Castlewellan Club the running costs together with the costs of the on-going Club development program is quite extensive:

EXPENSES

Social Club: Building maintenance and upkeep, heat, insurance, electricity, rates, bar and cleaning wages, waste collection, hygiene and pest control, purchase and renewal of furniture and bar/kitchen equipment, purchase of stock, stock control fees, entertainment licences, gamming machine licences.

St. Malachy’s Park: Grass cutting, upkeep and repair of Pitch including goalposts and high ball nets. Park maintenance including weed control, bank cutting, fence maintenance, cleaning and repairs to changing rooms, exterior painting and repairs.

Teams: GAA registration fees, insurance, Co. Board fees, renewal of team jerseys (16 teams), washing of all team jerseys (at least weekly, during playing season), team medical and physiotherapy expenses, team meals and accommodation, travel expenses, including running and upkeep of teams bus, purchase of balls (hurling and football) and hurling sticks, medical equipment, hire of Council pitches for games and training, competition entry fees, trophies and gifts.

Other Expenses: Loan repayments and bank charges, legal and accounting fees, architects fees, VAT payments, Hospitality, including visiting teams, senior citizens club, donations to charities, Scor and Scor na Og entry fees and travel, gifts and prizes, telephone, printing and publishing, postage, County Board commitments.

INCOME

All of the above expenses are met in part by the bar receipts, which has seen a steady increase on an annual basis. But this alone can not meet all of the expenses incurred by this expanding club plus the finance needed to fund the on-going development plans. Each year therefore, there is the need for a constant round of fund raising events, many of which incorporate a social or sporting element as well:

Invitation Sevens: Commenced in 1980, the brainchild of then Club Secretary Gerry Dougherty and modelled on the Dublin Kilmacud sevens. This event has grown in stature each year to become the second biggest GAA sevens event in Ireland.

Invitation Annual Golf Classic: Commenced in 2000 and organised by outgoing Club treasurer Colm King, Committee member Michael Hawkins, and Club Secretary Kevan Owens. This event played on the Royal County Down golf course attracted a record number of entries, and already there is a keen interest in the 2001 competition.

‘500 Club Draw’: the brainchild of Club finances supremo Michael Keown, this annual draw commenced in 1999. Tickets are priced at £100 each (or 4 monthly payments of £25). The draw has proved to be immensely successful because of the top class prizes which include the star prize of a new car, continental holidays and cruises, Dublin weekend breaks, top of the range Hi-Fi and televisions as well as a host of cash prizes. What proves attractive about this draw is the limited number of tickets (500) which increase the odds (1 in 8) of winning at least one prize. The draws are run in the social club over 4 consecutive months (Sept. to Decca) and feature entertainment of top class nature each night of the draw with free admission to all participants in the draw.

Further details about the all three events in 2001 will appear in individual pages of this website shortly.

In addition to the above there are other forms of regular income:

Gate receipts
Social Club gamming machines, and pool table
Weekly members tote
Membership fees
Sponsorship:

As well as major sponsorship for the All-Ireland Sevens, the Club is grateful for the individual teams sponsorship received from local business’s and firms, showing that they too have a stake in the community, and are willing to provide financial support to the Club’s 16 teams. The 2001 sponsors appear alongside the teams they sponsor on the ‘club teams’ page of this website.

As well as all of the above annual fund raising events, the Club has also shown a capacity to pull off major events, when needs arise. Witness the major outdoor festivals of the mid and late eighties in St. Malachy’s Park, and the 1995 outdoor concert in Castlewellan Forest Park. Because of the Club’s current ambitious development proposals watch this site for news of another spectacular and innovative fund raiser.