WHILE the prize money available to eircom League clubs has increased significantly this year, the importance of claiming some of UEFA's cash has not been diluted.

The ?450,000 prize fund for the eircom League and the ?300,000 for the inaugural Setanta Cup was a significant increase on the, in comparison, paltry ?100,000 plus prize fund for the 2004 League race.

But, with the costs of running a football club in Ireland rising all the time, Shelbourne, Cork City and Longford Town know the importance of getting their hands on European cash.

Already the three clubs have received between ?30,000 and ?80,000 each from their Setanta Cup exploits but when you consider that Shamrock Rovers now shell out ?15,500 per week in wages, it would hardly keep them running for a month. When you remember that Rovers are in the bottom half of the expenditure League it underlines the vast amounts of money being pumped into clubs for what is relatively small prize money.

Rovers were certainly living beyond their means and the last few months have shown clubs that unpaid credit is not a sustainable revenue stream, meaning that all other options; be it prize money, gate receipts or sponsorship must be exploited with Europe a proven area for milking all three areas.

Last season, Shelbourne received 240,000 Swiss francs (approx ?150,000) in prize money from their Champions League run. With around ?50,000 per round available - UEFA are set to decide how to split this season's prize fund in Monaco in August - Europe also represents the best way to make a quick buck. After all what other way can an Irish club make that kind of money from two matches?

"European money does help but it's not the be all and end all," says Shelbourne chief-executive Ollie Byrne. "The players have to realise that they have to go out and do their job each day whether that brings in the money or not. We have the obligation to try and get it for them and Europe helps."

But it is not just the prize money revenue stream that is enticing to Irish clubs; there is also the fact that the Irish football public are hungry for European competition.

Over the last few years, every club in European action has enjoyed larger than average crowds - even for games against not very glamorous opposition.

Last season, Shels had a huge crowd for their clash with KR Reykjavik, a full house at Tolka Park for the Hadjuk Split game while they had to move their third round tie with Deportivo La Coruna to Lansdowne Road.

Even in the UEFA Cup when terrible weather conditions meant that just 7,000 turned up at Lansdowne Road to watch Shelbourne draw 2-2 with Lille, it was still an improvement on the average League crowd at Tolka Park.

This season has already seen higher than normal crowds in the two home European games to date - Bohemians versus Ghent in the Intertoto Cup and Longford Town against Carmarthen Town in the UEFA Cup.

This has the obvious knock on affect of higher gate receipts and, in some cases, revenue from television with every Irish club hoping to draw a German or a Spanish side where the television market means a huge cash windfall.

However, worryingly, when clubs return to domestic action, very few supporters seem to follow.

While 22,000 shelled out up to ?20 to watch Shelbourne draw with Deportivo La Coruna last year, six days later, less than 2,000 were in Tolka Park for Shels' FAI Cup clash with Derry City.

But Byrne insists that while Shels might not convert every casual European fan into an avid Red, they are building their fan base.

"We have is we have a good solid base of young supporters," he in