GATE receipts from the 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship were a record €8.4million, according to figures just released from the provincial GAA Council.
In its own report, the increase in this revenue stream was due in part to an increase of €5 in adult stand and terrace tickets.
“Also, the 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship broke previous attendance records, and this is mainly attributed to the competitive nature of the games and the fact that the majority of teams still had a fighting chance of qualification on the final day of the group games,” the Munster Council stated.
A capacity crowd of 43,580 were at the Gaelic Grounds for the first-ever penalty shoot-out final involving Limerick and Cork, and won by the latter after the teams had tied after extra time.
On that thorny issue, Munster Secretary Kieran Leddy said that “the use of penalties is fair in that conditions are the same for both teams”, indicating he wasn’t in favour of alternatives such as a replay, ‘golden score’, or a team with most goals scored.
Revenue from the senior hurling championship figure accounted for the bulk of the Council’s €12.7million income last year.
It was noted that the Senior Football Championship suffered a decrease of nine per cent in gate receipts, with receipts thus amounting to around €475,000.
Overall, match day hosting costs (where host counties receive 15 per cent of gross gate income) increased to 29 per cent of overall income, equating to €3.7million.
Across the Council’s 105 fixtures staged last year, the cumulative attendance figure was €465,250.
Indirect costs – under headings such as coaching and games development (€1.5million), administration (€1.25million), team costs (€660,000) and player welfare/bursaries (€600,000) – came to €4.15million.
The surplus before funding was €4.8million, which was then distributed via operational, capital development, and club development grants.
Munster GAA has retained earnings of €8.5million.
Limerick’s Paul Foley (Patrickswell) will succeed Cork’s Bob Ryan as Munster GAA treasurer at its AGM to be held at Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel, Adare, this weekend.