- Mayo GAA have announced a multi-year investment plan to develop the county’s training infrastructure and support future generations of teams and coaches
- The investment plan includes the development of a new state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence and a new all-weather training facility beside MacHale Park
- Mayo GAA will also appoint a permanent chief executive that will lead the strategic growth of the county’s commercial operations
Mayo GAA has unveiled a new multi-year investment plan and growth strategy that will futureproof the county’s training infrastructure and underpin future success on and off the pitch.
At the annual convention for county board delegates on Sunday, 7th December, officials from Mayo GAA outlined the multi-faceted plan, which will comprise significant investment in new training facilities and the appointment of a permanent chief executive for the first time to oversee the running of Mayo GAA’s commercial operations.
The core project at the heart of the new capital plan will be the development of a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence for Mayo GAA, which will include four playing pitches, dressing rooms, gym facilities, and other ancillary meeting rooms and facilities. The new Mayo GAA Centre of Excellence will be located on a 26-acre site in Bohola that was gifted to the county board and will comprise an estimated capital investment of €15 million.
Alongside this, Mayo GAA have already commenced work on the development of a new all-weather training pitch adjacent to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar. The development of the 4G pitch at Mulvey Park will be completed by February next year as part of an €800,000 investment. The project will be fully funded from the county board’s financial reserves and will not require external borrowings from lenders.
The investment in the all-weather pitch at Mulvey Park was signed off by Mayo GAA earlier this year following extensive engagement with all county teams, which requested a dedicated training base at MacHale Park – the home of Mayo GAA.
The final part of Mayo GAA’s multi-year investment plan and growth strategy is the appointment of a permanent chief executive to manage the county’s commercial operations going forward. A process to appoint Mayo GAA’s first ever chief executive has already commenced, and the county board is hopeful that the position will be filled by the first quarter of 2026.
Appointing a full-time chief executive will allow for sustainable and strategic growth in Mayo GAA’s commercial operations, while providing professional support to the clubs, volunteers, players, and stakeholders across the county.
The chief executive will report directly to the Executive of Mayo County Board and will implement a new strategy to grow and expand the commercial opportunities for Mayo GAA going forward.
Seamus Touhy, chair of Mayo GAA, said:
“I’m pleased to announce this new multi-year investment plan and growth strategy for Mayo GAA, which will set the foundations for future success in this county both on and off the pitch.”
“The new Centre of Excellence is the most exciting project ever undertaken by Mayo GAA and who is to say it won’t prove to be the missing brick in our ultimate dream for this county since 1951. A significant investment is required to make this new Centre of Excellence a reality, and Mayo GAA will undertake a wide-ranging fundraising campaign in 2026 to generate the funds necessary to develop the facility.
“We’ve also listened to the feedback of the players and management of all our county teams, who all wanted a dedicated training base beside MacHale Park. Work has already started on the development of a new 4G training pitch at Mulvey Park and that new facility will be ready by February next year.
“The final piece of our strategy is to appoint Mayo GAA’s first ever full-time chief executive, which I feel is a key resource that our county needs. The new chief executive of Mayo GAA will be a full-time role tasked with managing the commercial operations of Mayo GAA, while providing much-needed professional support to our clubs, volunteers, players, and stakeholders across the county.”
“Overall, this multi-year investment plan and growth strategy will futureproof the training and playing infrastructure within the county and ensure all Mayo GAA teams have everything in place to achieve their maximum potential each and every year.”
