GAA Infastructure

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103055#Comment_120103055

What other European countries build dozens of modern stadia which will scarcely ever come close to their capacity?

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103211#Comment_120103211

Political agenda? I mentioned irelands media are left leaning. If you don’t agree fair enough. That means I’m here with a political agenda then god help us.

The thing on Albania and Moldova, Albania would have better soccer stadiums than us. I take an Interest in soccer or sports infrastructure in different countries

See this.

https://www.albanopedia.com/travel/albanian-stadiums

and please relax on the tone, there’s no need to be confrontational. I’m just giving an opinion. I’m not being offensive.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103221#Comment_120103221

well Poland do. Im unsure of the exact number but it’s high. I’m not saying that’s the right decision but yes they do. They built 4 for the euros and have kept building since in Katowice, Łódź, Plock and probably a few more I’m unaware of but plan to build more.

Eastern Europe look upon stadium building as a responsibility of the state and local authorities.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103295#Comment_120103295

Anyone can take a photo of one good stand for a press photo.

Actually google some of them. The Tomori stadium looks exactly like your average GAA county ground. Same for Dovana stadium. And there is a good reason why the picture of the Flamutari isn't a picture of the actual stadium interior.

The Irish government are not gonna fund 32 stadia any more than they already do. They should spend more on sport but there is far needier. We couldn't even afford to send a couple of cyclists to Australia for the last World Championships.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103454#Comment_120103454

Albania has better soccer grounds than us. GAA; we may have better than them.

im not saying the Irish government is going or should build every ground a new stadium.

as I’ve said Ireland is between a rock and a hard place now with facilities, they are in dire need of updating especially in soccer but the cost makes it a political impossibility to do all the work need to be done.

I think we should have a national debate about it at political levels, a plan and it should be more well funded. Like double or treble the amounts currently committed. That would be progress. Right now I’m not sure I even see progress.

but overall because we largely ignored our stadium infrastructure for practically a life time we are stuck behind the eight ball. There is too much to do and too little money to do it in.

breezy1985

The primary problem here is the GAA funding model which tries to treat CBs like professional sports clubs who have to go it alone on stadia. But then only offer 4/5 home games in a half baked warm up match league 2 full home games in hurling and maybe maybe 1 full home game for a football county. That's why GAA can't be compared to other sports.

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103351#Comment_120103351

Even the least attended of those stadia get far more attendees than the suggestions on this thread.

A team in the Polish league has 17 guaranteed league games a season and get an average attendance of over 9'000, with cup games and European games on top of that. In my example of Meath we're guaranteed 6 games a year where the crowd will even break 1'000. It'd be an enormous financial drain on the county council, both to build and operate.

It's also notable to see how many top leagues in Poland (and around Europe) have stadia with capacities as low as 4'500. That just wouldn't fly in the GAA where every county "needs" at least 10'000. The GAA mindset is that Kerry need a 40'000 capacity stadium in case 20'000 bandwagoners are left without tickets once a decade when Kerry play a strong Cork team at home in a Munster final.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103351#Comment_120103351

Now we are being compared to a country of 37 million people. And a sport with a full time league.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103576#Comment_120103576

That last paragraph is vitally important. Constant comparisons to full time soccer leagues but the truth is the All Ireland is nothing like the LoI or Premier League. The All Ireland is Wimbledon, the Olympics, the 6 Nations. A sport that has a solid but small following that then explodes for one small period a year.

getoutadodge

Money should go to club level infrastructure first. A bleak January evening in a mud bath and a container shed is a recipe for failure

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103754#Comment_120103754

I was asked what European country builds dozens of stadiums with public money with the assumption being there wasn’t one. I merely answered.

PeggyShippen

Some counties aren't badly off at all. Limerick have the markets field for football and if they needed a bigger ground they could rent Thomond Park which is perfect for soccer. Thomond Park is probably the 4th beat stadium in the country after Croker, Aviva and Cork. Facility wise aswell. Then there's the Gaelic Grounds. It's a good stadium, floodlights, hosts Munster finals. Facilities poor enough, needs a new Mackey stand. I see no need to roof the open stand considering hurling big games are in Summer and there's only about 3 big games I'm any year there.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104213#Comment_120104213

Ide rather rebuild the Mackey and leave the uncovered uncovered. But if Mackey stays then the uncovered needs a roof and refit to be the main stand. It's one of the very few GAA facilities that has more than enough toilets but the whole stadium needs better shops.

Overall Limerick is very well served for a city of it's size when you add in all the UL facilities.

roadmaster

Did the Meath County Board ring Peter Fitzpatrick for some advice?

https://meathlive.net/2023/02/10/meath-gaa-secures-pairc-tailteann-investment/

breezy1985

First thing the new President mentioned in his RTE interview is counties asking for help and advice about "crumbling infrastructure" as he put it.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120263065#Comment_120263065

Good to hear some county boards are asking for help from HQ rather than trying to do it themselfs with all the issues it could bring

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120264505#Comment_120264505

It's the only way forward from what I can see. Glad to see it acknowledged at the highest levels.

CrabRevolution

Looks like the immigrant investor scheme is coming to an end, so the funding route used by Louth and Meath (and possibly others I haven't read about) won't be available from now on. Existing applications aren't affected though.

roadmaster

Louth Stadium Tender to go out next week. It will be interesting to see what the prices are that come back and what they taught they would be.

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/louth/sport/gaa/peter-fitzpatrick-insists-louths-148-million-stadium-funding-is-ring-fenced-rock-solid-and-guaranteed-despite-governments-decision-to-scrap-iip-42352447.html

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275294#Comment_120275294

I think they will be in for a shock and I don't think this will be done in the next few years unfortunately.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275543#Comment_120275543

The only good thing is its a greenfield site as such with no demo costs but even at that you could be looking at 15 million for the seated stand, 10 million for the covered terrace and then another couple million for the pitch, floodlights and all other required works. You will be well north of 30 million.

They have the chineese money and maybe another 5 million from the gaa hq so they might just do it even maybe do it in stages

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275624#Comment_120275624

Always amazes me how these projects in Ireland can end up costing so much. Modest enough too. Don't get me wrong it's a smashing design and will be a credit to them when built but I hope they don't have their pants pulled down over it. 15 million should surely be enough for it.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275624#Comment_120275624

”they have the Chinese money”, they don’t actually have it yet though I’d imagine? They have an agreement in place, what legal obligations that agreement decrees or how interested the Chinese will be now, since they have no clear route to extending their residency is the questions I’m wondering.

as with almost any sports infrastructure project in Ireland ….it’ll be built when it’s built and not when someone says it will before any work is done.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275659#Comment_120275659

Prices in General have gone nuts. Tallaght stadiums new 2k seater stand is coming in aroung 8 million i think

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275698#Comment_120275698

I know he is a Politican so everything has a bag of salt with it but peter fitzpatrick seams to be very strong on the point the money is ring fenced and is a done deal.

AnFearCeart

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103754#Comment_120103754

The GAA need to be putting the stadiums into more use though. They're decent concert venues and there is decent money to be made from hosting such events. Re-invest some money into the upkeep of the stadiums, GAA games development and club facilities and you'd have a good thing going.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281539#Comment_120281539

What concerts ?

Like honestly how many more concerts than already happen in Ireland can you get. It's really only an option for a few grounds.

Did you smash it

Think festivals in nice locations are more en vogue than concerts in antiquated GAA venues

Charles Babbage

With changes in technology there should be scope for a GAA stadium with some sort of inflatable roof. This would make it possible to have other events than are possible at present.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281858#Comment_120281858

About 25 of the 32 counties don't even have a main stand fit for purpose and some terraces look a few years off condemned.

An inflatable roof like the one in the Connacht CoE becomes a lot harder in a stadium. It would have to be a brand new stadium for it to work.

There just isn't demand for concerts all over the country. It would be robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282150#Comment_120282150

Concerts are limited. The only stadium you can factor them into is Killarney as a real added value option. This is mainly due to the factor you have substantial accomodation in the Killarney area and plenty more in Kerry in general.

This would mean you would get funding from these businesses as they would benefit from events in the stadium

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282281#Comment_120282281

And even then its likely that whatever concert you get is one that would probably end up in PuC otherwise.

I can see why people and business in Killarney want that but also can see why the GAA dont want to spend money building up a stadium for concerts just to take them from another GAA venue.

There would be some scope to steal gigs from Thomond Park to Cork or Kerry or get a few RDS gigs out of Dublin but not enough to make it a real issue to focus on.

A far better option and money maker for counties would be to ring fence the CP concert money into a stadium development fund.