Millionaire backer Tim O’Leary has withheld €250,000 in funding from Mayo GAA’s county board in a row over governance. Who is Tim O’Leary and what do the Mayo GAA International Supporters Foundation do?

What is the Mayo GAA International Supporters Foundation?

In the wake of one of their most miserable championships back in 2010, Mayo GAA undertook a strategic review that sought to lay out the next five years for the county.

One of the many proposals of the wide-ranging report was to “establish an independent Mayo Foundation, with respected trustees, which will attract support from the Mayo diaspora worldwide who are favourably disposed to the aims and objectives”.

Mayo has undertaken fundraising abroad since then.

But the International Supporters Foundation added renewed impetus to the cause.

A registered not-for-profit corporation in the USA, the International Supporters Foundation aims to, according to its website, “harness this global support for the future development of the Mayo GAA including our new underage academy initiative, our new state of the art Mayo GAA Training & Development Centre in Castlebar, and other player welfare, educational and development programmes. We also help support local charities that have a strong link to helping worthy causes in the Mayo community.”

What do they do?

With a trip to New York in the Connacht championship on the cards, Mayo refocused their energies on fundraising Stateside this year and, under the guidance of Tim O’Leary, the Mayo GAA International Supporters Foundation hosted a black-tie gala evening in the Cipriani Hotel, on Broadway, in New York, on the weekend of that game.

The event was a massive success.

There were more than 300 people in attendance and, combined with an auction on the night, it raised $370,000 (€338,000).

New York GAA, Mayo Roscommon Hospice, Mayo GAA club New York and Rockland GAA all benefited from the night, too.

Who is Tim O’Leary?

Tim O’Leary hails from London, but is of Mayo descent.

The wealthy businessman is a significant backer of Mayo GAA.

A successful trader in the city of London and chairman of the Mayo GAA International Supporters Foundation, he was described by the county chairman as ‘one of the greatest Mayo supporters of all time’ at that event at the Cipriani Hotel in New York back in May.

His contributions have been significant.

A letter to Mayo officials on July 11 from the foundation pointed out that he had made a payment of $150,000 to Mayo GAA in 2018 and that in total O’Leary’s “contribution to the Foundation and Mayo GAA stands at $415,000”.

Considering Mayo spent €1.5m on county sides in 2017, O’Leary’s support is considerable.

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