Local GAA club membership costs

AlanG

One of my kids is looking to start under 8 GAA soon with Castleknock and I was just told it would be 192 for her for the year as school kids pay the same as adults (only 3rd level students get a discount). Pretty shocked to be honest as they have no clubhouse of facilities.

I know Plunketts are 130 for the year and students in Bridget's seem to be 150 for all students but both of these clubs have great facilities available. Clubs outside Dublin seem to be about 50 to 100 per year if they have a clubhouse and gym. St Peregrines is about 40 per child.

Just wondering if anyone who is already a member of Castleknock knows how they justify the price and also do they know of any club that is more expensive in Ireland.

listermint

If there is no facilities why not go to Bridgets or Plunketts ?

Pat Dunne

listermint wrote: »

If there is no facilities why not go to Bridgets or Plunketts ?

Great facilities in Peregrines also.

AlanG

I would like to support the local club if possible and also the kids friends play mostly in Castleknock. I have no problem giving time and effort to help the club to progress and build the community but if my kids get really into GAA I don't fancy having to pay almost 400 for family membership in a few years and then having to pay separately for training facilities elsewhere due to the lack of facilities.

Pat Dunne

AlanG wrote: »

I would like to support the local club if possible and also the kids friends play mostly in Castleknock. I have no problem giving time and effort to help the club to progress and build the community but if my kids get really into GAA I don't fancy having to pay almost 400 for family membership in a few years and then having to pay separately for training facilities elsewhere due to the lack of facilities.

I know that Castleknock have great plans for state of the art facilities and based on their pitch development, they will have those facilities sooner than later.

chucknorris

Many clubs have stated fees but many hidden fees, in all codes of sport.

I would not take the fees at face value - ask some questions.

For example, one soccer club in D15 charges €210 start of season fee but doesn't mention that they charge a winter weekly training fee on top and also do not mention the club gear fee which they make a % on also.

Many clubs have different ways to extract monies from members.

AlanG

Pat Dunne wrote: »

I know that Castleknock have great plans for state of the art facilities and based on their pitch development, they will have those facilities sooner than later.

I understand that they have great plans but building work hasn't moved along in many years. I asked about well over a year ago and was told building would be restarting last summer. It never happened and no one I asked knew anything for sure.
Does anyone here have reliable information on the restart of the clubhouse build.

daymobrew

chucknorris wrote: »

For example, one soccer club in D15 charges €210 start of season fee but doesn't mention that they charge a winter weekly training fee on top and also do not mention the club gear fee which they make a % on also.

IIRC I paid €220 for Castleknock Celtic. My neices in Kerry pay about 1/4 that. Castleknock Celtic, and presumably Castleknock GAA, are using the extra income to pay for facilities (Celtic's built already and GAA's being built in the future).

chucknorris

daymobrew wrote: »

IIRC I paid €220 for Castleknock Celtic. My neices in Kerry pay about 1/4 that. Castleknock Celtic, and presumably Castleknock GAA, are using the extra income to pay for facilities (Celtic's built already and GAA's being built in the future).

They are both two fine, large clubs.

€220 is reasonable as that covers everything. other clubs have unpublished charges on top of their annual fees.

Pat Dunne

AlanG wrote: »

I understand that they have great plans but building work hasn't moved along in many years. I asked about well over a year ago and was told building would be restarting last summer. It never happened and no one I asked knew anything for sure.
Does anyone here have reliable information on the restart of the clubhouse build.

Just to say, I have no direct connections with Castleknock GAA, however I feel that you are not looking at the overall picture. I am aware that the club has invested heavily into their playing pitches, which are among of the very best in Dublin. To achieve this standard of pitch did not come cheaply, the initial investment along with the annual maintenance is considerable.

The prioritizing of club facilities is a chicken and egg situation. You can have the most up to date brick and mortar facilities first and terrible pitches. Or state of the art pitches and adequate changing facilities to tide the club over in short to medium term. this is a conundrum faced by all clubs.

You mention both St Oliver Plunkett's and St Brigids, both of these club's are well over 50 years old and only acquired their current facilities in the last 20 years. In fairness to Castleknock, it is one of the youngest club's in Dublin 15 and to my mind has done tremendous amount of work since they started in 1998.

You can be thankful your kids are not into Golf, Gymkhanas, Motorsports or Sailing, then you'd know all about cost

BlazingSaddler

Get yourself to Westmanstown, fantastic club, membership is €90 per child with a cap of approx. €250 per family. Much more of a personal feel than some of the so called bigger clubs and the facilities are super.

chucknorris

mattb74 wrote: »

Get yourself to Westmanstown, fantastic club, membership is €90 per child with a cap of approx. €250 per family. Much more of a personal feel than some of the so called bigger clubs and the facilities are super.

+1

ThisRegard

mattb74 wrote: »

Get yourself to Westmanstown, fantastic club, membership is €90 per child with a cap of approx. €250 per family. Much more of a personal feel than some of the so called bigger clubs and the facilities are super.

Do they have a GAA club there, other than the garda?

edit: Westmanstown Gaels, I never knew that.

BlazingSaddler

http://www.gardawestmanstowngaels.com
The Easter camp is also well worth a look if you want to get a feel for the club. €50 for the week

ebbsy

Never join the nearest club,send your child to the most successful.

Transfers can be difficult in the gaa.

trooper1950

ebbsy wrote: »

Never join the nearest club,send your child to the most successful.

Transfers can be difficult in the gaa.

This is the greatest load of kack ive ever heard in my life, You obviously know nothing about GAA. The whole point of the GAA is playing for your local parish. Growing up playing with friends/schoolmates from kids to juvenile to adult at whatever your level is, will always be far more important than playing with a successful club that is not in your parish.

That IS the whole point of the GAA. The reason that people in general don’t transfer other than work reasons is that they want to play for their parish with the people they grew up with. Its not the bloody premier league.

AlanG

trooper1950 wrote: »

This is the greatest load of kack ive ever heard in my life, You obviously know nothing about GAA. The whole point of the GAA is playing for your local parish. Growing up playing with friends/schoolmates from kids to juvenile to adult at whatever your level is, will always be far more important than playing with a successful club that is not in your parish.

That IS the whole point of the GAA. The reason that people in general don’t transfer other than work reasons is that they want to play for their parish with the people they grew up with. Its not the bloody premier league.

I agree - which is why it gets to me that Castleknock charge so much for kids. It seems very exclusionary for an organisation that is supposed to be community based and promoting the sports. Perhaps the people who set the pricing are more interested in the buildings than the sport or community.

chucknorris

AlanG wrote: »

I agree - which is why it gets to me that Castleknock charge so much for kids. It seems very exclusionary for an organisation that is supposed to be community based and promoting the sports. Perhaps the people who set the pricing are more interested in the buildings than the sport or community.

€192 is not a bad price at all for a season.

BlazingSaddler

chucknorris wrote: »

€192 is not a bad price at all for a season.

But in comparison to the others as discussed earlier in this thread it clearly is very expensive. Do they have a cap or family rate? I certainly wouldn't cough up nearly €600 for my kids to play for Castleknock.

chucknorris

mattb74 wrote: »

But in comparison to the others as discussed earlier in this thread it clearly is very expensive. Do they have a cap or family rate? I certainly wouldn't cough up nearly €600 for my kids to play for Castleknock.

I hear you but the fella who created the thread is asking about one kid who he is looking to sign up.

The difference in price compared to the other local clubs, if those figures are accurate, is €42 compared to St Brigids.

If €42 is the extra price to pay to help develop the clubs facilities, that's reasonable.

€42 - I couldn't get out on a Saturday night on €42 and a family Chinese order on the weekend would not be far off €42.

The likes of St Brigids might have some serious backers such as Cooper face jacks, so that assistance might off set some costs. The likes Brigid's has a bar last time I was there so again the overall cost of running the club can be offset with a decent revenue stream from that.

What surprises me is that the clubs mentioned don't seem to publish their fees online. I think the conversation from all of us is mere speculation.

Seanie_H

mattb74 wrote: »

But in comparison to the others as discussed earlier in this thread it clearly is very expensive. Do they have a cap or family rate? I certainly wouldn't cough up nearly €600 for my kids to play for Castleknock.

I think for fairness there certainly should be a family cap but for 1-2 children, my opinion would be that any price difference is a false economy when it comes to time, extra travel etc. Also, if you can afford the luxury of it, you'd want your child to play with their classmates and direct neighbours.

Past30Now

mattb74 wrote: »

But in comparison to the others as discussed earlier in this thread it clearly is very expensive. Do they have a cap or family rate? I certainly wouldn't cough up nearly €600 for my kids to play for Castleknock.

There is a family membership of €32 a month (€384 per annum). That's the max anyone pays.

I'm involved with one of the older age groups, so can only give an idea of the value the €192 gives to my son and his teammates.

During the course of the year he will play in the region of 35 matches for the club and have 80 training sessions. At Under 8 he'd have played a similar amount of matches but would have trained a little less, say 60 sessions over the course of the year. If you take the under 8, that would work out at less than €2 per hour. For my lad it works out at about €1.70 per hour. I've a daughter who dances and swims, and each hour she spends doing either of those activities costs a multiple of the figures above.

We're lucky in Dublin 15 to have a number of great clubs to choose from. I recommend Castleknock, but I'd expect any member of St Brigids, Westmanstown, St Peregrines, SOPER or Erin go Bragh to recommend their club. Anytime we play any of those clubs, the atmosphere is good and a warm welcome is assured. Naturally at Under 8 level, the parent will attend every training session and match, but as the lads and girls get older, they'll attend some sessions without you. The point above about playing for your parish is well made. If you're living across the road from a club, then that club should become your club, unless you had an association with a different club previously.

Lastly, the clubhouse will be built this year.

chucknorris

Past30Now wrote: »

There is a family membership of €32 a month (€384 per annum). That's the max anyone pays.

I'm involved with one of the older age groups, so can only give an idea of the value the €192 gives to my son and his teammates.

During the course of the year he will play in the region of 35 matches for the club and have 80 training sessions. At Under 8 he'd have played a similar amount of matches but would have trained a little less, say 60 sessions over the course of the year. If you take the under 8, that would work out at less than €2 per hour. For my lad it works out at about €1.70 per hour. I've a daughter who dances and swims, and each hour she spends doing either of those activities costs a multiple of the figures above.

We're lucky in Dublin 15 to have a number of great clubs to choose from. I recommend Castleknock, but I'd expect any member of St Brigids, Westmanstown, St Peregrines, SOPER or Erin go Bragh to recommend their club. Anytime we play any of those clubs, the atmosphere is good and a warm welcome is assured. Naturally at Under 8 level, the parent will attend every training session and match, but as the lads and girls get older, they'll attend some sessions without you. The point above about playing for your parish is well made. If you're living across the road from a club, then that club should become your club, unless you had an association with a different club previously.

Lastly, the clubhouse will be built this year.

Excellent post.

From a volunteer position I believe there is a healthy rivalry between Brigids and Castleknock. Who'll be top dog in ten years time?

LoonyLovegood

I've personal experience with SOPER, and I'd recommend them to anyone, the coaches were fantastic with my brother, who wanted to play GAA but has a co-ordination disorder. They took the time to teach him exactly how to move his muscles, and how to hit the ball. He doesn't play anymore, but I'll always appreciate them. I played with Castleknock for a year, and didn't have a great time, but it was around 2000 and I was the only girl on the U-8, so I don't blame them at all, it's awkward being the only girl on a team.

beauf

I think its expensive. But...

But its a unfair to compare with clubs who have been around for 30yrs or more. They've had a lot longer to get established and their costs were a lot lower, than it is now. Likewise with the location, the costs of getting started in Castleknock vs somewhere else are just not comparable.

Castleknock at least have put their effort into the pitches (all weather/lights). So when the weather is bad (as it is a lot) they have somewhere to practice. Other clubs in the are have no all weather facilities and you can miss weeks of games in bad weather. Or have to pay to go elsewhere and it plays havoc with schedules.

AlanG wrote: »

... which is why it gets to me that Castleknock charge so much for kids. It seems very exclusionary for an organisation that is supposed to be community based and promoting the sports. Perhaps the people who set the pricing are more interested in the buildings than the sport or community.

I think this is unfair inference, for any club. There is a very strong parental and community involvement in GAA clubs in general. They are also very inclusive compared to other sports where not everyone gets to compete.

Pat Dunne

LoonyLovegood wrote: »

I've personal experience with SOPER, and I'd recommend them to anyone, the coaches were fantastic with my brothr......

Sorry, had to read your post a couple of times to figure out you were referring to Oliver Plunkett's. A great community based club, with a really brilliant bunch of people helping out there.

AlanG

chucknorris wrote: »

What surprises me is that the clubs mentioned don't seem to publish their fees online. I think the conversation from all of us is mere speculation.

The prices are published online once you go into the "pay membership" sections.

AlanG

Past30Now wrote: »

There is a family membership of €32 a month (€384 per annum). That's the max anyone pays.

I'm involved with one of the older age groups, so can only give an idea of the value the €192 gives to my son and his teammates.

During the course of the year he will play in the region of 35 matches for the club and have 80 training sessions. At Under 8 he'd have played a similar amount of matches but would have trained a little less, say 60 sessions over the course of the year. If you take the under 8, that would work out at less than €2 per hour. For my lad it works out at about €1.70 per hour. I've a daughter who dances and swims, and each hour she spends doing either of those activities costs a multiple of the figures above.


Lastly, the clubhouse will be built this year.

The GAA is a voluntary organisation set up to promote the sports and culture. If you have to justify the prices by comparing them to professional activities that exist to make money you are really demonstrating that Castleknock GAA has lost sight of why the GAA exists.

If the club excludes people on the basis of income then they are really not serving the purpose of the GAA. I worked for years in voluntary youth services and we were always very concious not to put up unnecessary barriers to entry for individuals.

It certainly seems that Castleknock is the most expensive GAA club in Ireland and it is basic economics that if you have a high cost you exclude lots of people.

chucknorris

AlanG wrote: »

The prices are published online once you go into the "pay membership" sections.

I cannot find a consistent fees structure on any of the web pages of the local GAA clubs.

I did find this and it looks really impressive.

http://www.castleknock.net/fundraising.1187.html

AlanG

chucknorris wrote: »

I cannot find a consistent fees structure on any of the web pages of the local GAA clubs.

St. OP - 130
https://www.plunketts.ie/membership.aspx

Peregrines – 40 plus 2 per match
http://www.cnp.ie/news/349213/Membership_2016_is_Now_Due

westmanstown – 90 per child
http://www.gardawestmanstowngaels.com/contentPage/372255/membership
http://sportlomo-userupload.s3.amazonaws.com/uploaded/11052/MEMBERSHIPFORMFeb2016_1454617419.pdf

chucknorris

AlanG wrote: »

St. OP - 130
https://www.plunketts.ie/membership.aspx

Peregrines – 40 plus 2 per match
http://www.cnp.ie/news/349213/Membership_2016_is_Now_Due

westmanstown – 90 per child
http://www.gardawestmanstowngaels.com/contentPage/372255/membership
http://sportlomo-userupload.s3.amazonaws.com/uploaded/11052/MEMBERSHIPFORMFeb2016_1454617419.pdf

Thanks. I was really looking to see if Brigids and Castleknock publicly had their fees online.

Codpeas

chucknorris wrote: »

Thanks. I was really looking to see if Brigids and Castleknock publicly had their fees online.

The prices for Castleknock are in the registration form:

http://www.castleknock.net/_fileupload/Forms/2015-2016%20Reg%20Form.pdf

fasterbetter

Brigids is on their website in the members area..main categories below:

Adult Playing member €280
Non Player Full Member €100
Juvenile + 1 Parent €200
Second Parent/Guardian €30
Nursery €100

chucknorris

My head would explode comparing the different prices.

AlanG

Just to give an update on how this ended up:
We paid for my daughter and she joined the club as she really loves GAA and has been getting really well in Castleknock due to the work of the great volunteers there.
I know for a certain that a number of my daughters school mates who attended Nursery will not now move on to play U8 due to the fact that their parents are worried that the kids will not be interested once they get a couple of hits or bad results in a match. The 192 along with other initial costs of over €100 such as gum shield, helmet etc. was a key factor for the parents I was speaking to. Unfortunately these kids are lost to GAA due to the high cost at such a young age.

On a slightly separate issue, as I have other commitment much of the time, my wife goes to a lot of the matches and training. She has no interest in field sports but like many parents goes along for our daughters sake. She was asked to help as a mentor as the club really need female mentors so she agreed to help even though she wouldn’t be into it at all. That’s great says Castleknock GAA “That will be another 192 euro please.” No surprise she agreed to help in other ways and won’t be involved as a mentor.

The Stand Side

AlanG wrote: »

On a slightly separate issue, as I have other commitment much of the time, my wife goes to a lot of the matches and training. She has no interest in field sports but like many parents goes along for our daughters sake. She was asked to help as a mentor as the club really need female mentors so she agreed to help even though she wouldn’t be into it at all. That’s great says Castleknock GAA “That will be another 192 euro please.” No surprise she agreed to help in other ways and won’t be involved as a mentor.

That is fairly shocking, many clubs would have a free child membership with an Adult Membership but I would say Castleknock are at the very high end of the scale on costs. Definitely would not expect to have to fork out that sort of money just to help out.

ThisRegard

She had to pay to be a mentor? That's ridiculous.

AlanG

ThisRegard wrote: »

She had to pay to be a mentor? That's ridiculous.

Yea, we were pretty surprised by it. We were talking to a parent of a U10 or U11 girl yesterday and he said they generally cant get a full team out any more as a lot of girls have dropped out, therefore they have to ask girls from younger teams to fill in. Hopefully the U8s doesn't go like that as time passes.

choslimi

Ballyboden St Endas

Rates - http://www.bodengaa.ie/home/club_membership.493.html
- are similar to those published at Castleknock

Rules - http://www.bodengaa.ie/_fileupload/Downloads/Guidelines_for_Juvenile_Mentors__January__2016_V7_63500150.pdf
- require mentors to be members, just as Castleknock do

ThisRegard

I just checked out my old club membership from when I was a kid up to junior, €50 for adult or juvenile, €150 for a family which is 2 children and 2 non paying adults. Fair enough there's a long established club house already and the membership would include access to a bar, but that's a big difference.

I did check a neighbouring club and they're looking for €110 for non playing membership.

AlanG

choslimi wrote: »

Ballyboden St Endas

Rates - http://www.bodengaa.ie/home/club_membership.493.html
- are similar to those published at Castleknock

Rules - http://www.bodengaa.ie/_fileupload/Downloads/Guidelines_for_Juvenile_Mentors__January__2016_V7_63500150.pdf
- require mentors to be members, just as Castleknock do

According to that link
Mentor is 110, (192 in castleknock)
Juvenile is 140, (192 in castleknock)
1 full adult and 1 youth or minor is 210 (family option 1)- almost half the price of Castleknock and they have access to a gym for that. (384 in Castleknock, no gym or clubhouse)

It doesn't say it there but I am pretty sure Ballyboden is 60 for kids at U8 level as they are still considered Academie members. (192 in castleknock)

ted1

Just saw this from the main page, it's 180 for the academy in Dalkey. They train on a Astro turf so need to lease this from the council. No price for the mentors that train them.

The first year they get a jersey included.

With regards helmets etc, best got off adverts.ie only about 25 euro. Hurled are 15 and gum should 2:50 but quite the 100 euro mentioned earlier

ThisRegard

ted1 wrote: »

With regards helmets etc, best got off adverts.ie only about 25 euro. Hurled are 15 and gum should 2:50 but quite the 100 euro mentioned earlier

Runners and boots, tracksuits, shorts, jerseys etc would easily add €57.50 to your sum.

beauf

AlanG wrote: »

A...I am pretty sure Ballyboden is 60 for kids at U8 level as they are still considered Academie members. (192 in castleknock)

Bit of a commute for training a couple of times a week though.

AlanG

ted1 wrote: »

With regards helmets etc, best got off adverts.ie only about 25 euro. Hurled are 15 and gum should 2:50 but quite the 100 euro mentioned earlier

Nothing like a second hand Gum Shield to keep down costs. Good Contribution Ted. Thanks.

beauf

Why not just move to a cheaper local club. There are loads of them around.

ted1

AlanG wrote: »

Nothing like a second hand Gum Shield to keep down costs. Good Contribution Ted. Thanks.

Obviously the gum shield is new.

Seanie_H

AlanG wrote: »

That’s great says Castleknock GAA “That will be another 192 euro please.” No surprise she agreed to help in other ways and won’t be involved as a mentor.

Out of interest, and because this seems so obviously wrong that they'd charge a volunteer mentor to pay, did you ask the club secretary about it?

It just strikes me that the management team for the under 8s is the source of advice for this and it's been taken as the club's word. And if they're correct on the club rules, outlining the situation to the club might make them see the light.

Crazy situation

AlanG

Seanie_H wrote: »

Out of interest, and because this seems so obviously wrong that they'd charge a volunteer mentor to pay, did you ask the club secretary about it?

It just strikes me that the management team for the under 8s is the source of advice for this and it's been taken as the club's word. And if they're correct on the club rules, outlining the situation to the club might make them see the light.

Crazy situation

We checked this with some more senior members and it is the club policy that mentors must pay unfortunately.