Millionaire threatens Mayo GAA with legal action if it won't repay his €150,000 donation
A millionaire benefactor has demanded that Mayo GAA return a €150,000 donation – and has threatened legal action if the money is not given back within 21 days.
Lawyers for Bahamas-based English options market trader Tim O’Leary said it appeared to him that the funds were not used for the purpose for which they were provided.
A solicitors’ letter containing the demand was sent to the Mayo county board last night.
Mr O’Leary said he would give any money recouped to Mayo Roscommon Hospice and toward Gaelic games in Mayo schools.
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For several months Mr O’Leary has been demanding an explanation from the county board as to how the funds were spent.
Demands for transparency have been a central issue in an ongoing row between the board and the Mayo GAA International Supporters Foundation, which Mr O’Leary chairs.
In September the foundation announced it was withholding €250,000 raised at a gala event in New York, earmarked for an academy and a centre of excellence, after the board failed to produce business plans for both projects. It also said it would cease funding “until appropriate governance structures are put in place”.
The board denied any deficits in governance, but the row has continued to rumble on, despite the intervention of GAA director general Tom Ryan. A meeting between top GAA officials and Mr O’Leary had been due to take place this week, but was postponed as agreement could not be reached on a venue.
Mr Ryan has asked the county board to refrain from making public statements on the controversy in order to better facilitate a resolution.
Last month the foundation pledged €1m in funding toward Mayo GAA over five years provided a number of conditions were met.
These included “a proper explanation” for how the €150,000 was used; a commitment that sponsorship deals be put through a competitive bid process with independent oversight; and the production of status reports for the academy and centre of excellence.
The foundation sought a response by Monday evening, but none was received.
The letter issued last night by Tom Casey Solicitors on Mr O’Leary’s behalf clearly indicates the businessman has lost all patience with the board.
Mr O’Leary made a personal donation totalling €150,000 in two tranches in February and June 2018 on condition the money be used to give the Mayo senior football team extra resources.
According to the solicitors’ letter, Mr O’Leary did not request vouching documentation at the time, but made repeated requests for information after a prominent GAA figure advised him late last year that the funds had not been used for that purpose.
The letter claimed that it was only after the matter entered the public domain this August that he was provided with hundreds of miscellaneous receipts.
It said these appear to have been randomly assembled and did not in Mr O’Leary’s opinion vouch expenditure of €150,000 for the benefit of the Mayo senior football team.
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