Rugby snub leaves Croke Park penniless
The GAA's refusal to open up Croke Park to other sports has lost them an estimated €2.5m from the upcoming Six Nations decider alone.
Ireland host England at the 50,000 capacity Lansdowne Road but Croke Park would have proved a much more attractive venue had Congress allowed other sports to be played there.
The GAA are currently managing a €70m debt while the IRFU are believed to be operating at round a €4.5m deficit.
Meanwhile, GAA chiefs may be forced to refixture their NHL programme for the week ending March 30 because of a clash with the Ireland/England rugby decider.
Just last Saturday a paltry 3,021 turned out at Semple Stadium to watch Tipperary and Limerick because of Ireland's match against France.
GAA PRO Danny Lynch said: "We're very aware that it can be counter-productive to run games against major international events, although it isn't always possible to switch them."
