Who Is Really Paying for the All‑Ireland Games?
Who Is Really Paying for the All‑Ireland Games?
Every time the All‑Ireland Games come around, the headlines are familiar. Pride. Celebration. Community. Medals. Photos. Smiles. Speeches about inclusion and opportunity.
But behind the banners and the applause, there’s a quieter question that rarely gets asked out loud:
Who is really paying for them?
Our Story, Lived Between the Lines
In our story, nothing was ever simple or well‑funded. Support came from kitchens, not committees. From shared meals, not glossy brochures. From people opening their homes when systems failed or moved too slowly.
Long before games, uniforms, or transport plans, there were years of getting by. Years of choosing between essentials. Years where dignity depended on who showed up, not who issued a press release.
That reality never disappeared. It just became less visible once medals entered the picture.
The Hidden Cost of “Participation”
On paper, the Games are about opportunity. In practice, they often come with a long list of quiet expenses:
Travel costs
Accommodation contributions
Gear and equipment
Club fees
Fundraising targets
Time off for carers and families
None of this appears in the celebratory posts. None of it is mentioned when success stories are rolled out.
Yet for many athletes, especially those living on a disability allowance, these costs don’t come from spare income. They come from sacrifices.
Skipped meals.
Delayed bills.
Borrowed money.
Payday loans taken out with the hope that somehow it will work out.
Funded in Name, Paid in Reality
We’re often told these events are “funded.” But funding rarely covers the full picture. What it usually means is that the organisation is funded — not the person.
The gap is quietly filled by:
Athletes themselves
Families already stretched thin
Volunteers absorbing costs
Friends stepping in when pride runs out
In our story, support never came from abundance. It came from necessity. From knowing that if you didn’t step in, no one else would.
That hasn’t changed.
Pride Shouldn’t Come at a Price
There is pride in representing your county. Pride in walking onto a field knowing how far you’ve come.
But pride should never come at the cost of basic living.
Inclusion should not depend on how much financial strain someone is willing to absorb in silence.
And yet, year after year, the same people pay — quietly, personally, and without recognition.
The Question We Keep Avoiding
So as the upcoming All‑Ireland Games approach, it’s worth pausing between the cheers and the countdowns to ask:
Who is paying when funding falls short?
Who carries the stress long after the closing ceremony?
Who goes without so the Games can go ahead?
Because when you strip away the branding and the slogans, the answer is rarely the system.
It’s the same people it has always been.
The ones living the story, not just appearing in it.
And until that changes, the question will remain — quietly echoing behind every medal ceremony:
Who is really paying for the All‑Ireland Games?