Thursday, October 16th last was a landmark occasion for Cavan GAA with the official launch of Club Breifne at a very well attended function in the Hotel Kilmore. Cavan GAA supporters have gained a reputation down the years for the loyalty and generosity they have afforded Gaelic games in the Breifne county. In launching Club Breifne last Autumn, the brains behind the venture have put their faith in the willingness of GAA enthusiasts across the county to step up to the plate once more. For years, successive teams among Cavan's GAA hierarchy have led the way, nationwide, in the business of raising much-needed finance to fuel all sorts of activities. Indeed, per capital, it is a well-established fact that GAA supporters in Cavan have contributed more funding than any other similarly representative group of supporters in the country. Club Breifne came into existence on October 16th last when some 150 people representing a cross-section of Cavan GAA gathered to witness its formal launch. Simply said, Club Breifne is a supporter's club to which members will pay a fee. Unlike members of Club Tyrone, members of Club Breifne receive a return on their investment. Members will receive a jacket and polo shirt, access to all NFL matches in Kingspan/Breffni Park, access to all club championship games in any ground in Cavan and free entry into a draw for a top of the range Audi A4 which will take place at an end-of-year function for members and their partners. Hailing the launch of Club Breifne, County Board Chairman Philip Smith reminded the gathering of the increasing importance of maximising the county's fundraising capacity: The Kingscourt man revealed that the cost of developing infrastructure and funding teams has spiralled in recent years and that the coaching budget in '09 will be over 400,000 euros. "Club Breifne will allow us to continue to develop our facilities, including a new planned Centre of Excellence at Kingspan/Breffni Park." Meanwhile new county supremo Tom Carr was fulsome in his praise for those behind the innovative move: "Club Breifne is a fantastic initiative," said the Dublin native. "The off-the-field set-up here in Cavan is top class and we will be working hard to ensure that the team can match that." The formation of Club Breifne was first mooted a couple of years ago but with the success of the county board's Corporate Night, the new venture was put on the back-burner. Club Breifne will focus on investing in the future of the association in Cavan. It is hoped that a new stream of revenue can be accrued from supporters countywide. The monies received by dint of Club Breifne will be invested in coaching, games development, infrastructure and the support of each and every player who puts on a county jersey. "We have been lucky to be able to tap into the ability of the Cavan Supporters Club in Dublin and the Friends of Cavan GAA to raise funds but Club Breifne is something different. "The idea is that we can harness the support of fans generally and also the parents of all the kids on our county development teams," says Club Breifne Chairman Declan Woods. "The finance raised by Club Breifne will not be directed to any one area but to a whole range of activities relating to Gaelic games activities in the county. "Chief among these (activities) would be the development of a full-size Astro turf pitch at Kingspan/Breffni Park which, when completed, will cost in the region of 2.4 million euros. "To date, the county board has spent 700,000 euros on the project so with a grant of one million euros guaranteed, we're looking at raising another 750,000 euros or thereabouts. "Cavan fans have a great tradition and history of digging deep into their pockets and supporting all aspects of the Association in the county and we're sure that will continue." The Killeshandra clubman accepts that these are difficult times for Cavan Football Inc too. Winning ways which have underpinnned Club Tyrone's success have eluded Cavan. "Club Tyrone set the bar very high but its not that difficult selling something when you're All-Ireland champions," Declan opines. "The reality is that no matter how hard working the county board members are or those on the various sub-committees, the senior county team is in the front line. "Their (seniors) lack of success over the years hasn't made fundraising any easier but the support forthcoming from various sectors has been incredible down the years." Declan acknowledges that the current harsh economic times look like persisting in the short term at least and, as such, sponsorship monies may be more difficult to come by. In that respect, his view echoes that of county board Treasurer Martin Cahill who warned delegates at the recent county convention that "we would be silly to look to 2009 thinking that income will increase." For his part, the public face of Club Breifne believes that his committee can achieve its goal of signing up to 300 members over the course of the next three years or thereabouts. "We understand that there are a lot of GAA supporters in Cavan who aren't part of the business community and who haven't been invited to take part in sponsorship or signage. "There is a hard core group of people in Cavan who'll be there for the first McKenna Cup match of the year and will stick by Cavan through thick and thin for the rest of the year. "We believe those people would be anxious to become involved in raising money for the GAA and, if so, we would love to welcome them on board and see that they get a return. "Each member will be kept fully up to date by e-mail, mobile phone or any such other means about Club Breifne's progress and plans. "We see it (Club Breifne) as an organisation which can evolve in the same way that any club evolves and with the assistance of the county board we are very optimistic for the future. "We may not be enjoying the same success as Tyrone or may not have the resources of the Dublins of this world, but we want to be able to at least match them off the field. "Club Breifne will seek to help provide the same degree of facilities as boasted by those counties and indeed a whole lot of other counties." There is little doubt but that Club Breifne is an exciting, worthwhile project with enormous potential for growth and to deliver much needed support structures for Cavan GAA Inc. Elevating Cavan GAA to the top tier of the Association on and off the field of play is something which those at the vanguard of Club Breifne aspire to, Declan reminds us. All Gaelic sports will be nurtured and supported from the proceeds of the monies raised by Club Breifne, Declan assures us. Concluding, Declan says the hope is that every man, woman and child in county Cavan and the county's diaspora will come to see Club Breifne as the scaffold which can help everyone who wears a Cavan jersey climb upon the highest stage and achieve the best that they can. Go nEiri an bothar libh. Tweet

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