Dear Members, Supporters and Friends of Raheny GAA 

As chairperson of Raheny GAA I would like to introduce our vision for improving our playing facilities over the coming years; 

a project that will benefit our current playing membership and nurture a sense of pride in our club for many years to come. 

We are fortunate to have our home in the historic and magnificent surroundings of St Annes Park which provides  facilities for our 800 playing juveniles as well as a nearly  200-strong adult playing membership. When you add in the 144 registered mentors in 2023 and the legions of supporters who turn up to games of all ages and grades, it makes for an impressive presence of maroon and white across the GAA pitches we use in the park. 

This ambitious proposal aims to deliver top quality playing surfaces through investment and ongoing maintenance plans for pitches as well as provision of ball-stop netting behind goals and delivering an additional regulation-size pitch to reduce the pressure we currently experience on pitch 9 – the  only regulation size pitch available to the club. This plan for a  new pitch at pitches 12/12a will have the added benefit of delivering an improved playing surface for use by Go Games teams and will be complemented by a proposal to make pitches 6 and 7 more usable through the erection of ball-stop nets. I have met with Dublin City Council officials on these proposals and progress has been made on advancing the maintenance plan for Pitches 12 and 12a. 

A further phase consists of a proposal to deliver sand-based pitches at Pitch 9 and 10 and further investigate the detail of providing irrigation and flood-lighting. This is an ambitious proposal and preliminary work packages have been costed so that we can understand the scale of the works being considered and the investment required

These proposals will require significant funds to deliver and I am proposing a funding mechanism that will put the club in a position to advance these targets. I trust you will understand that to deliver on any capital project that the club will need to have reserves of cash in a dedicated development fund which will allow us to go to a financial institution to finance the project. This document outlines how this raising of funds can be achieved. 

As we look to the coming years of playing gaelic games, I’m sure we all share the ambition that our juvenile and adult sections will continue to enjoy participation as well as developing the skills of the game that might see them to the glory days of a championship win in the company of team-mates, family and friends across this community. While we are not in a position to be able to develop our own playing facilities, it is my belief that there is a lot this club can achieve by developing the allocation of pitches we enjoy in the park and improve on the quality and usability of the playing surface.

Ní neart go chuir le chéile.

Here we can put the payment options once they have been setup. 

The clubzap payment links are above, but if you wish to pay by any other method e.g. cheque, standing order, bank transfer, etc, then please email pitch250@rahenygaa.ie and we can accommodate it

If a member donates at least €250 in the tax year then the club can be entitled to receive the tax relief in addition to your donation.  There is an extra step that you need to complete a tax form (see below) and send it to the club, where the club will put in a submission to the revenue to claim the tax.

Additional information on the tax relief is available by downloading the tax relief form. 

Here is an update on the phases of the development

The Pitch Fund 250 Committee would like to update you on where we are right now with our goals for the pitches for this year.

8/ What about pensioners? 

The Club can claim the tax rebate for donations from pensioners (paying tax at either higher or standard rate). 

9/ How does the Club claim the tax rebate? 

Raheny GAA is an Approved Sports Body for the purposes of claiming rebates. Donors must sign and return a one page Revenue form to the Club – see form-spr-1.pdf. The form will be used solely for the purposes of the Club’s annual return for tax rebates and for no other purpose. Any personal data will be held in accordance with the Club’s Data Protection policy.

10/ How can I donate? 

Monthly payments are made through Clubzap (the platform used for annual Club memberships) or by standing order. Annual payments can be made via Clubzap, cheque, bank transfer or at the club bar. Clubzap payments incur an admin fee (3.25% plus €0.10 per transaction) payable by the donor. For this reason, the monthly Clubzap amount is €21.78 and the annual Clubzap amount is €258.60. For payment methods such as cheque, standing order or bank transfer, please contact pitch250@rahenygaa.ie and we will give you the account details.

11/ Can I donate less than €250? 

Yes. However, the Club will be unable to benefit from the tax rebate for donations of < €250. 

12/ Can I donate more than €250? 

Yes. And the Club will benefit from higher tax rebates on higher amounts. For cash/cheque payments, simply pay the higher amount. For higher Clubzap payments, please contact pitch250@rahenygaa.ie and we will facilitate this.

13/ Can I stop donations at any point during the 5 years? 

Yes. You can cancel donations at any point. 

14/ What do I get in return for donating? 

It is a condition of the tax rebate scheme that individuals do not benefit directly from donating. The benefits will be available to the Club membership as a whole via improved playing facilities. 

15/ Where will funds be lodged? 

Funds will be lodged to an account in Croke Park ring-fenced solely for Raheny GAA Club Pitch Development. This will give comfort to members that funds will not be used for day-to-day expenses. An update on funds held will be available annually at the AGM and in the Club’s Annual Accounts.