Anti-social behaviour forces Mayo to charge children for admission

ALL children under 16 years of age will be charged for admission to National Football League games at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park following a unanimous vote by delegates at Wednesday night’s meeting of the County Board.

Concerns about anti-social behaviour at a number of Mayo’s home games in last year’s National League, which were first raised publicly earlier this year, were cited as the reason behind the move.

Some club delegates said that health and safety was being compromised by unsupervised children congregating at games, blocking spectators’ views and running on to pitches after games.

Admission for Under-16s to all of Mayo’s home games was free-of-charge last season.

However, Mayo GAA had said they would review this arrangement in light of these concerns after they were raised at April’s county board meeting.

The county board’s Executive Committee recommended that an unspecified ‘minor charge’ be put in place for all Under-16s attending league games.

Mayo GAA Chairman Séamus Tuohy said that they ‘didn’t seem to have the same problems’ at championship games against Roscommon and Louth, where all patrons were charged to access the stadium.

Tuohy had warned back in April that Mayo may have to forfeit home advantage if such anti-social behaviour persisted.

Gardaí were forced to eject youths from the stadium during games played during this year’s league while stewards were also attacked on two occasions.

Kevin McDonnell, a delegate for Kilmaine and a steward at MacHale Park, said that stewards were being put ‘in tough situations’ during games.

“We’re talking about unaccompanied youths arriving and getting in, and once they’re in the ground, going on the pitch,” said McDonnell, who described the situation as ‘an accident waiting to happen’.

“When they are out on the field - especially for players when the game is over, and the rush comes on – it’s quite frightening. It is quite frightening, they charge at players, they hit players. I have to applaud players for the patience that they show.”

The move to charge Under-16s for admission was supported by every delegate who spoke at the meeting.

Kiltane delegate, Richard Cosgrave, said that many children had ‘no more interest in the game no more than the man on the moon’ and were blocking spectators’ views while on their phones.

Garrymore delegate John Farragher commented: “You go into any facility, the cinema, the swimming pool, you pay the money. It’s 100 percent. I agree with it.”

Padraic Carolan, the Parke delegate, said the money raised from charging Under-16s should be used to employ an underage football coach.

Seamus Tuohy poured cold water on the idea, stating that the charge was to do with health and safety.

“This is not about money. This is about health and safety of young people and elderly people,” interjected the chairman, who later confirmed that Croke Park had informed Mayo GAA that they had the authority to implement such a charge.

Responding to a query from Padraic Carolan, Mayo GAA Treasurer Valerie Murphy said the county board only received 10 percent of all gate receipts from home games, with the rest going into ‘national coffers’.

Former Mayo GAA chairman Mike Connelly, speaking as the Hollymount/Carramore delegate, supported the idea, adding that a ‘culture’ had developed at games during the 2023 season.

Swinford’s Peter Geraghty, a long-serving referee, said that the GAA needed to have a conversation ‘at national level’ about the safety of referees and stewards at games.

The motion to charge Under-16s at league games was carried without opposition following a 12-minute discussion on the issue.