All Ireland finals netted over £2.5,

GATE receipts accounted for 69 per cent of all revenue for the Central Council of the GAA last year.

The football and hurling All Ireland finals realised all time high receipts of over £2.5 million. Takings at the Dublin Tyrone football decider fell slightly short of receipts for the Clare Offaly hurling final which amounted to £1,270,032. The receipts for the football final were £1,259,170.

Commercial income, exclusive of sponsorships, corporate hospitality concerts, or other special events at Croke Park, was over £1.4 million during the past year as set out by Ciarain O'Neill in his Croke Park sections report.

Some of the principal income achievers apart from gate receipts were television fees and sales, sign advertising space rental, programmes, catering franchises, corporate logo (licence and royalties).

Revenue from gate receipts amounted to £4,909 843 compared with £3,709,373 for the previous year. The report on the GAA's finances will be discussed at the annual Congress in London next month, the first to be held outside Ireland in the history of the association.

Under the heading Utilisation of Revenue grants awarded by the Council represents the major share at 31.4 per cent.

More money has been invested in grounds outside Croke Park over the past four years than at anytime previously. Most of the money has gone into development schemes in Clones (£300,000), Hyde Park, Roscommon (£250,000) and Parnell Park (£100,000).

Liam Mulvihill, the GAA's director general, said Central Council spent more than £720,000 in 1995 in supporting projects related to the development of the games.

The report on the proposed athletics track for Croke Park, estimated at a sub structural cost of £8 million, would involve rebuilding Hill 16 to accommodate moveable seating. The report on the project by American experts is to be studied by such bodies as BLE, OCI and DISC, as well as by the Minister for Sport.

"The GAA will have to forego a number of fixtures in the stadium in the year in which the track sub structure is installed and in the year of a particular event," said Mulvihill. "But the matter will not be progressed unless it is of interest to the Irish athletics authorities who would have to initiate a bid for any major athletics events."

Mulvihill wishes that the conclusions reached by the hurl ing development committee in their report of 1993 pinpointing "defects and inadequacies in our present hurling system" be kept to the forefront during debate at congress.

The hurling committee's conclusions are: 1, There is a noticeable falling off in standards even in the so called stronger hurling counties; 2, Few counties have shown any improvement in overall performances in recent years; 3, Weaker hurling counties have major problems ensuring the game stays alive.

The negotiation of a new contract for radio and television with RTE has not been completed. "But the indications are that a contract will be finalised to cover the years from 1996 and 1997," said Mulvihill.

A major sticking point in negotiations was to have a midweek sports programme which could adequately preview the games scheduled for the following weekend as well as dealing with current GAA new items and issues.

Regarding referees, GAC chairman Sean O Laoire says: "A major recruitment drive may well be needed in the near future. The committee has identified that a shortage of referees at national level exists at the moment."