The GAA Injury Benefit Fund provides cover to GAA registered members playing Hurling, Gaelic Football, Handball and Rounders' for financial benefits should they sustain an accidental bodily injury during an official match or a sanctioned challenge match or an official supervised training session. This means that if a player incurs medical expenses as a result of his GAA injury, the fund will financially support him if he has no other covers or to cover shortfalls on private covers that the player may have.  The fund should not be relied upon to pay for all medical fees.  Cover is subject to the terms of the Fund.

No, it is not insurance. There is no insurer involved in the operating of the Fund and it is not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. All monies within the fund come from the GAA through annual registration fees, gate receipts and Central Council contributions. In effect, it is a benefit fund, funded by members for the members. It is still governed by a set of rules, terms and conditions where exclusions and limitations apply. The fund is there to help alleviate the financial burden of medical costs on players resulting from their GAA injury should this happen.

For example, if you have private health insurance with the VHI, Irish Life, Laya or other provider, you must use this pathway first and put in a claim with your insurer before making a claim on the injury fund for any shortfall. The injury fund is there to supplement unrecoverable costs that cannot be recovered elsewhere.

If a player sustains an injury during a match or at training, preliminary injury details need to be formally registered within 60 days of incurring the injury should he want to make a financial claim later. The injury date is day 1. Once the injury is registered, the necessary paperwork can be submitted to the claims handlers afterwards. So even if you're not sure whether you'll need to make a financial claim from the Fund, it's worth getting the injury registered on Foireann within the 60 days as a precautionary measure. If a claim does not need to be progressed, the claims handler can simply close the file out.

If the injury is registered on Foireann later than 60 days from date of injury, the injury fund will not cover any financial expenses. No appeals will be considered.  Any claims registered with a false date of injury to bypass the 60-day reporting condition will be declined and no appeals considered.

I incurred a GAA injury and have some medical expenses I'd like to claim back - where do I start?   

Firstly, if a player gets injured, he should always let his coach know and seek relevant treatment/rest/recover as advised. Player injuries that take place during St. Sylvester's training sessions and matches (home or away) should also be notified to  Secretary.stsylvesters.dublin@gaa.ie as soon as possible after sustaining the injury.

To make a claim for any medical expenses against the fund, he (or parent of an U18 player) will need to create an Injury Notification using an option on his Foireann Account.  This involves registering some details about the injury.   Don’t forget the 60-day notification deadline!  - An injury needs to be registered within 60 days from the date of injury.  Once registered, there is time to submit the necessary paperwork afterwards if financial reimbursement is sought from the injury fund.

• Log in to your Foireann account on www.foireann.ie 

• Click on ‘Profile’ in the menu

• Click on ‘Player Actions’ Tab

• Under ‘Injury Notification’ click on the blue ‘CREATE AN INJURY NOTIFICATION’ link and follow the steps

For queries relating to injuries sustained prior to June 1^st 2025 or claims that have already been registered before June 1^st 2025, please contact the Club Player injury administrator. 

If you have any questions about the GAA Player Injury Fund, please see a 'FAQ on GAA Player Injury Fund 2025' document below which you can download. 

For additional queries, please contact Orla O’Donnell, Player injury administrator for St. Sylvester's at Secretary.stsylvesters.dublin@gaa.ie   Please put "Player Injury" in the Subject heading.