Mayo businessman running for top Mayo GAA job

Kilmaine businessman and South Mayo Chairman Donal Walshe has announced his intent to run for the position of Mayo GAA Treasurer at the upcoming County Convention on December 6.

He’s pledging to grow county income, reduce club levies and move Mayo from saving to building. He launched his candidacy this morning with the strapline – “Every club helped bring Sam home. Every club should feel the payback.”

He says his campaign puts clubs at the centre of the county's finances: growing Mayo GAA's own income so the county can reduce club levies, ease the pressure on volunteers and fund the facilities its teams need.

Announcing his candidacy, Walshe said: “For too long, our clubs have carried too much of the county's finances, through club levies, draw tickets and volunteers giving up their weekends, on top of coaching teams and keeping their grounds going. Every club in Mayo helped bring Sam Maguire home. Now it's time the county started giving something back.

“Mayo GAA is in a far stronger position than it was in 2016 and 2017, and the people who steadied things deserve credit for that. But we got here mainly by saving: lower monthly loan repayments, lower team costs during Covid and record gate receipts when crowds came back. Saving got us stable. It won't build Bohola or take the weight off clubs. A treasurer isn't only there to mind the money. They have to go out and raise it.”

“Strong clubs and successful county teams go hand in hand. We should never have to choose between supporting our clubs, competing for All-Ireland titles and investing in the facilities our players deserve”.

​GIVE THE CEO ROOM

Two years ago, the late Séamus Tuohy, then Chairman of Mayo GAA, asked Walshe and Mayo GAA Cultural Officer, Daithí Gallagher, to carry out an internal review of how Mayo GAA worked and to subsequently lead the process of appointing the county's first CEO.

"Séamus gave everything to this county. He saw that if Mayo was going to compete, on and off the pitch, it needed to be run professionally. We told clubs the CEO role would pay for itself within 12 months. It has done that in a quarter of the time. Mayo now needs a Treasurer who gives the CEO room to lead, with the Treasurer providing oversight and reporting openly to clubs.

PRIORITIES

Walshe has set out his stall at the start of his campaign and highlighted the following: Lower levies and a payback for clubs - a clear, phased plan to reduce club levies and a clear share of new county income returned to clubs, so every club feels the benefit of Mayo's success. Raise money, not just save it - a structured county fundraising programme at home and across the diaspora, driven by the CEO with the Treasurer's full backing.

Bohola done right - a funding plan, tight cost control and value for money on the Centre of Excellence. A CEO with room to lead - day-to-day operations run by the CEO and staff, with the Treasurer in oversight and reporting openly to clubs. Working together - closer co-operation with Mayo LGFA and Mayo Camogie where it benefits clubs and players.

The Kilmaine man concluded by saying everyone can benefit if he is successful. “I want volunteers under less pressure, a professional administrative structure at county level supporting clubs, and our county teams properly resourced and facilities we can be proud of for generations. Stronger clubs build stronger county teams. If we get our finances right, the whole of Mayo GAA wins.”

Walshe will attend the divisional AGMs over the coming weeks.