Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan plan to give a total of €150,000 to GAA clubs near their recently purchased Strancally Castle property in County Waterford. The donations, made to clubs Shamrocks GAA, Tallow GAA, and Lismore GAA, are to be paid over a two year period, with each club getting €50,000 each.
Secretary of Shamrocks GAA Tim Lenehen expressed his appreciation for the funds to RTÉ, stating the club was “Delighted to receive” the donations, describing the “huge difference” it will make to their “small club”. Tallow GAA treasurer Kieran Geary described the “hugely positive impact” the donation would make to their club.
Geary went on to describe the intentions for the donations, planning to “invest in coaching and games” and “progress important capital projects” such as tarmacking walkways and improving club facilities.
A statement from a spokesperson for Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla described their wishes to “support these local clubs” through these donations, stating that “the GAA is at the heart of communities across Ireland”. They were proud to support the “important role” these clubs play.
These donations come after Meta was fined nearly €2.5 billion since 2022 by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) regarding data regulation breaches by the company. So far, the DPC states that €17 million has been collected, yet the judgements about the breaches remain under appeal.
When questioned by RTÉ regarding the possible conflict of accepting the donation, Geary stated that the young players’ and local community’s welfare is a “priority” for their club. The club is looking at this investment as “what it is”, being a “private donation” to encourage the younger generation into the GAA.
Strancally Castle, A 19th century Gothic Revival estate situated along the Banks of the River Blackwater in County Waterford, will be used by Zuckerberg when conducting Meta business in Ireland, while his family continues to reside in the US. The billionaire’s current net worth is estimated to be $253.3 billion according to the Forbes Real Time Billionaires List, ranking Zuckerberg 6th globally.
These philanthropic donations to the GAA are not the first of their kind, with jockey JP McManus donating €1 million to every county board in Ireland in December 2018. He also donated €100,000 to each county the same year.
