O'Dea Calls For Rugby At Gaelic Grounds

tommy249

O’Dea scrums for Gaelic Grounds Written by Marie Hobbins and Andrew Carey Thursday, 26 February 2009 09:37 THE ball has been thrown back into the court of rugby and GAA authorities, with Defence Minister, Willie O’Dea, taking time out from his visit to Chad, to contact the Limerick Post, to lend his weight for a possible Munster Heineken Cup semi-final, to be played at the 49,000 capacity Gaelic Grounds. Speaking to the Limerick Post from Chad, where he is visiting the Irish Troops, Mr O’Dea said: that as a minister of a government that has been extremely generous to the GAA, he would like to see the organisation “short-circuiting the process involved in securing the Ennis Road stadium for the match.
“The GAA authorities in Limerick should press to further this and I’d be right behind them - I will talk to the GAA when I return from Chad. To have the match played in the Gaelic Grounds would offer double the capacity of Thomond Park, and would be a great boon to the Limerick economy at the moment, generating countless millions of euro”. An informed source close to Munster Rugby has confirmed to this newspaper that should the County Board indicate a willingness to host such a fixture, the ERC (governing body of European Rugby) could make a ruling in favour of Limerick. Of course, all hinges on the result of the Munster v Ospreys quarter final.
“The rules say that you can’t host the game at your traditional home ground, but at a neutral venue deemed suitable by the ERC, but the precedent is there, as it occurred in 2005, when Leicester and Stade Francais each hosted semi-final games in their respective cities”.
With Mayor John Gilligan and City Hall executives backing the move, Sean Lally, Limerick Chamber president, estimates that a semi-final switch to the Gaelic Grounds could generate 16million euro to the local economy.
“This could be the difference between businesses staying open and available to continue to trade. Having the game in Limerick, in a stadium that can hold double the capacity of Thomond Park, could bring up to 16 million euro to a much needed economy. Bars, restaurants shops and hotels, they all get a piece of the action, and that is exactly what the city needs. If visitors and supporters stayed for even one or two nights the benefits could be seen. We have seen some 1,900 jobs lost at the Dell plant and the fall out from other services continues The city needs a major boost and this could be it”.
While a prominent city GAA stalwart has serious reservations about the switch, other GAA supporters have told this newspaper that although enthusiastic for such a move, they are sceptical that the organisation will take it on board.

Good idea willie,play it in a kip of a stadium or play it in the best stadium in the country with double the capacity,hmm tough choice.Munster would easily get 65,00 plus in croker even if they werent playing Leinster,which would obviously sell out.

You and your cronies have ****ed up Ireland enough,leave the rugby to people who know what they are doing.

puntosporting

This call was weeks ago !
It would be great for limerick to hold a h-cup semi final do!
The stadium is only after going through a refurbishment too!
Will never happen do!

jpjc05

agree twill never happen

tommy249

Sarai Green Quicksand wrote: »

Good idea willie,play it in a kip of a stadium or play it in the best stadium in the country with double the capacity,

Think kip of a stadium is very harsh. Just after going through a $15m re-development. Probably only Croke Park and Thomand Park better than the Gaelic Grounds now (Maybe Semple in Thurles)

tommy249

tommy249 wrote: »

Sarai Green Quicksand wrote: »

Good idea willie,play it in a kip of a stadium or play it in the best stadium in the country with double the capacity,

Think kip of a stadium is very harsh. Just after going through a $15m re-development. Probably only Croke Park and Thomand Park better than the Gaelic Grounds now (Maybe Semple in Thurles)

The redevelopment is only through phase 1 and I think the other 2 phases are where the real changes will be made.

Anyone have any pics of it recently,i.e redeveloped?
Ive been searching and there are none.

tommy249

.

Anyone have any pics of it recently,i.e redeveloped?
Ive been searching and there are none.[/quote]


The best I can find

http://www.bmcc.ie/Hotel_/_Leisure/93/project-page.html

Is it finished?

tommy249

Installing floodlights at the moment but think thats it. Couldn't get planning permssion to cover the second stand

Dissapointing they didnt make the whole thing seating,although maybe the GAA didnt want that.

COnsidering Munsters stadium cost 25m and this redevelopment cost 15m,I would have expected more tbh.

Look like most of it was spent on the corporate facilities.

thehighground

Sarai Green Quicksand wrote: »

Dissapointing they didnt make the whole thing seating,although maybe the GAA didnt want that.

COnsidering Munsters stadium cost 25m and this redevelopment cost 15m,I would have expected more tbh.

Look like most of it was spent on the corporate facilities.

Thomond cost €40m not €25m. GAA is primarily played during the summer months, so not such a need for covering (though, with climate change, who knows). I prefer terraces anyway.

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I suppose O'Dea is looking at all the job losses in his Limerick constitutency recently and thinking of the ABs game which apparently brought about 8m into Limerick, it could be a potential loss to Limerick of 16-20m.

But, I think if he is thinking of GAA stadium opening up in Munster, Semple Stadium in Thurles should get first shout - there are 4/5 lads from Tipp. in the Munster squad now and Tipp doesn't get a look in).