JP McManus and the McManus family made an unprecedented and completely unexpected donation to the GAA on Thursday afternoon of €32 million, to be divided equally among the nation’s 32 counties.
In a letter he issued to the various county boards, Limerick’s honorary president and chief sponsor and supporter expressed his intention for the money to be evenly distributed among all of the GAA, camogie and ladies football clubs in the counties.
It is the second time that the South Liberties GAA club-man has made such a sweeping donation to the GAA, having boosted its communities all over Ireland back in 2018, with a €100,000 donation which was also to be directed to the clubs.
Mr. McManus’ affiliation with the GAA has been almost lifelong, having become his home club’s chairperson as a 19-year-old back in the early 1970s.
He sponsored a set of jerseys for the team back then, who under his guidance, in 1972 went onto win their first Limerick senior hurling championship in almost 100 years.
In the letter that was sent to the county boards, McManus expressed how he and his family ‘greatly value the spirit and meaning of GAA communities.’
“With Limerick’s success in the GAA in recent years, we have seen the joy that this can bring on and off the field and how it enhances the spirit, camaraderie and confidence of communities, urban and rural,” it read.
“My family and I greatly value the spirit and meaning of community and our GAA, Camogie and Ladies Gaelic Football clubs who are at the heart of communities right throughout the island.”
First reported by Philip Lanigan of the Irish Daily Mail, the donation is to be made by January of next year.
In a joint-statement issued by GAA president Larry McCarthy and Director General Tom Ryan, the leading racehorse owner was hailed for his ‘generosity’, with the pair also expressing their ‘sincere gratitude’ to him and his family.
“We would like to place on record our sincere gratitude to JP McManus and his family for yet another remarkable gesture of support.
“Clubs across the island benefitted greatly from the generosity of JP and his family in 2018, and we know that the funds were put to very good use at the time.
“His support of the GAA at many levels is well documented and our units will once again rejoice in the generosity of the McManus family and use the funds to assist in their hugely important work at the heart of communities.”
As reported by Dominic Coyle in the Irish Times, GAA clubs in Sligo will receive the most substantial donation, of roughly €30,300 while those in Cork will receive the lowest, in the region of €2,660 in due to the high number of clubs in their county.
How much clubs in each county are expected to receive
- Antrim €6,667
- Armagh €10,870
- Carlow €22,222
- Cavan €13,699
- Clare €7,874
- Cork €2,660
- Derry €10,753
- Donegal €10,765
- Down €8,065
- Dublin €4,444
- Fermanagh €17,857
- Galway €7,643
- Kerry €10,204
- Kildare €10,309
- Kilkenny €11,905
- Laois €16,667
- Leitrim €26,316
- Limerick €6,711
- Longford €29,412
- Louth €14,925
- Mayo €14,706
- Meath €9,615
- Monaghan €13,158
- Offaly €12,346
- Roscommon €21,739
- Sligo €30,303
- Tipperary €7,692
- Tyrone €11,364
- Waterford €11,494
- Westmeath €14,493
- Wexford €7,092
- Wicklow €13,699
The news wasn’t welcomed with open arms by everyone, with Social Democrat TD for Wicklow Jennifer Whitmore using the opportunity to suggest that McManus, reportedly a tax resident of Switzerland, would pay his taxes in Ireland.
I know this is a stretch..but maybe just pay taxes here..you know, for all those less PR worthy initiatives like education, health care, public transport.. https://t.co/d1MX9OBnNH
— Jennifer Whitmore TD (@WhitmoreJen) December 14, 2023
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