The figure represents a 55 per cent increase in the space of only three seasons.

Only six counties (Leitrim, London, Louth, Monaghan, Waterford and Wicklow) spent less than 300,000 on preparing their inter-county teams in the last year, according to figures compiled by the Sunday Tribune, whereas at least 12 spent more than 600,000. Twelve counties reported losses on their activities but 10 counties recorded six-figure surpluses, among them Galway, who finished over 320,000 in the black despite spending 1.06m on their hurlers and footballers.

Limerick's operating deficit of 142,787 was by some distance the biggest in the country.

With rising costs, it's no surprise then that a wideranging survey of county chairmen found almost uniform opposition to the introduction of semi- professionalism or professionalism for inter-county players. Of the 29 polled, 97 per cent took their lead from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who made headlines on the matter in midweek with only Michael McGuire of Roscommon favouring what would amount to the most radical change in the association's history.

"I would see professionalism as a good thing for the GAA, " says McGuire "along the lines of how rugby has gone in this country. I don't think it would destroy the [amateur] ethos. Clubs are finding it very difficult to get volunteers anyway. People are being paid at club level, whether it's managers or members of the back-up team." When a leading county official supports the idea of professionalism, it's clear that an issue put firmly on the agenda by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) is not about to go away any time soon.

Meanwhile, the challenge of catering properly for club players was the most pressing issue cited by nearly half of all chairmen with finance following behind it. There was almost uniform agreement that expenditure on inter-county teams was in danger of rising to worrying levels. "Counties will not be able to sustain costs, " Dick Miller of Laois predicts. "And you talk about professionalism. . ?" A number of managers, Meath's Brendan Dempsey adds, have the "best of both worlds . . . they have a blank cheque and they don't have to balance the books. In some cases there are no controls in place."

Though accepting that spending on inter-county teams has "gone a bit high", Armagh chairman Joe Jordan believes that it's up to each county board to negotiate with team management.

"At the same time, you don't want to be penny-pinching, " Jordan says. "Success breeds success. You have to spend X number of pounds to get the return. Every county and every management have to sit down and see are there areas where spending can be cut back. The physio thing, for instance, seems to have become a cottage industry."

The poll also found that 55 per cent support the idea in principle of a limit being introduced to the number of inter-county training sessions while 76 per cent believe that the GPA have a worthwhile role in terms of player welfare.