The Camogie Association has welcomed the Government’s announcement of an additional 1 million euro for hurling and camogie development in Budget 2027, building on 783,000 euro announced in Budget 2026, a decision that matters to association and institute professionals as it shows membership bodies relying on targeted state funding while core funding falls short of sector requests.

The Camogie Association is the governing body for camogie in Ireland. It will use the money, with the GAA, for coaching, schools programmes, club development and participation initiatives.

The GAA is Ireland’s largest sporting and community organisation, headquartered at Croke Park in Dublin, with clubs in almost every community on the island. Hurling and camogie hold UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status, and both bodies describe themselves as custodians of the games.

The investment will support coaches, referees and volunteers and strengthen clubs. The two bodies will direct resources to developing counties and communities where opportunities to participate are more limited, aiming to raise playing numbers and player retention.

The funding illustrates how governing bodies depend on earmarked grants because core funding growth trails their requests.

Budget 2027 raised core funding for national governing bodies and Local Sports Partnerships by 5.3 per cent, just over half the increase requested through the Federation of Irish Sport, according to Sport for Business. The increase adds 1.768 million euro to core funding, according to gov.ie.

Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said, “Budget 2027 has been received with substantial disappointment by our members as it failed to acknowledge the significant challenges NGBs and LSPs face, but more importantly the significant measures delivered by our members this year alone.” The statement appears on the Federation of Irish Sport website.

For the sector, earmarked development grants fund programmes but not the overheads that sustain them, which makes core funding the measure of long term stability. For the sector’s volunteer based bodies specifically, development money for coaches, referees and club support helps retention, provided the staff to administer it remain in place.

Whether earmarked funding continues to outgrow core funding will indicate how far governing bodies must plan around project money across the sector.

Source: Camogie Association / Sport for Business / gov.ie / Federation of Irish Sport