The absence of a final replay, the first time it has happened since 2011, contributed to a 32% decrease in the All-Ireland Hurling Series attendances, 272,996 from 403,434 in 2015.

However, there was a bump of 19% in football with the Dublin-Mayo All-Ireland semi-final adding 81,897 to the 553,076 non-provincial total.

In 2014, the number was 463,403. It’s estimated the game brought in roughly €1m for the Association.

Because of All-Ireland final replays, hurling gate receipts had outstripped those of football in both 2013 and ’14.

Football’s gate receipts are now higher than they have been in the last seven years.

The average attendance for an All-Ireland series game equated to 19,000, while the Croke Park average, including Leinster games, worked out at 35,725, a reduction of almost 2,000 on 2014.

Of the 339 senior inter-county games in 2015, just 48 were profitable.

At a briefing in Croke Park this morning, GAA director of finance Tom Ryan and stadium and commercial director Peter McKenna revealed gate receipts now make up 48% of the GAA’s total revenue.

Describing it as a solid financial year for the GAA, Ryan reported that the GAA’s total revenue came in at €56m, €0.5m less than 2014.

A third of the income was commercial with the GAAGo relationship between the organisation and RTÉ being a large factor in the GAA experiencing a €2m increase in that area.

Dublin were the biggest recipients of direct payments from Central Council with almost €2.1m going to the capital.

Next were Laois with €1.25m, most of which was provided to them for the development of pitches in the vicinity of Portlaoise’s O’Moore Park.