Would Morton Stadium be the worst national outdoor athletics venue in Europe?

Did you smash it

A question for those here that are more educated than me.

Is there any plans to improve the stadium to make it an international class arena?

Happyhouse22

Almost certainly not

Tombo2001

The worst? Whats wrong with it - its absolutely fine for what Ireland needs, I love the grass bank there. Bigger problem for me is just general lack of running tracks.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122121715#Comment_122121715

The biggest problem for Irish home grown athletics is the lack of tracks. I live in Swords, over 40,000 inhabitants and not a single track. How on earth is athletics supposed to attract young people when no facilities are available.

Tombo2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122121764#Comment_122121764

Well - Alsaa is nearby, but in rag order but I take the point completely - pretty much the entirety of the Northside of Dublin is trekking over to Santry.

Wottle

Irishtown is also in awful condition.

Out my way, there's Tallaght, UCD and DSD but currently Joe public can't get on any of them.

pc11

Also Lucan. I don't know if it can be used publicly though.

djemba djemba

The old gravel track in kilbogget Park has just reopened with a new surface on it. Open access for all.

Rossi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122123131#Comment_122123131

Join the respective clubs and you'll have access to them. As it is I can think of 3 clubs who come to Tallaght to avail of the facilities.

Sandwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122131704#Comment_122131704

As a club member myself with access to a track, I don't think this should have to be the solution. There's no reason why serviceable tracks couldn't be added to public parks alongside the existing pitch facilities. I've noticed cricket pitches recently being installed in several parks near me. Why not a running track?

Even as a club member it's unusual to have unrestricted access to the track due to other clubs and groups having block bookings.

brick tamland

I always think its a bit crap that a lot of these tracks (around Dublin anyway) are being built in public parks and yet the general public has no access to them. Lots don't even give you an option to pay for access unless in a club

Wottle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122131704#Comment_122131704

I am a member of one of the clubs and since the track was built, I still haven't been able to get on it, I work evenings.

I'd love a setup like Irishtown, UCD seems like the most suitable candidate but instead it's €120 for an hour or join the UCD gym at expense.

Sandwell

A notable exception to this is the excellent Peacelink facility in Clones where it costs three euro to use the track. This is how it should be done everywhere.

Rossi7

If our track was to be opened up in the mornings they would have to pay someone in order to facilitate opening it up. It's not financially worth it to the club to take in the odd few quid. Your then relying on the public to show up and if there is no shows the club is out of pocket as the have to pay for someone to go down and open it.

I'd say that reason alone is why most clubs don't open up to the public.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122132050#Comment_122132050

Same at Finn Valley leisure centre in Stranorlar, Donegal (or at least it used to be). Lovely running track there.

Also, the public track in Ballina is open for free all day as far as I know (although again it's a couple of years since I was there).

Murph_D

To respond to the original question - the track in Morton is excellent. The supporter facilities are rudimentary, but I've never gone to an event there where I didn't find it easy to get a good view of the action, and the atmosphere for the bigger events is entirely appropriate to a minority sport with a dedicated group of followers. I'd like the stands and seating and toilets and food and all the other supporter comforts to be better, but that will only happen when people create the market by turning up in droves to watch the action, and the important thing in the meantime is that the track facilities themselves are not wanting.

It's not the Premiership, and the Diamond League won't be calling soon, but Morton reflects the Irish athletic scene pretty well, I think.

Definitely could be better, but so could every Irish sports facility I can think of.

Snodge

Is morton track open to the public?

Sandwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122184502#Comment_122184502

https://www.dcu.ie/dcusport/morton-stadium

Some of the time. There are lots of block bookings by clubs and other groups.

rom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122121764#Comment_122121764

Cork City - No track at present.

randomname2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122123131#Comment_122123131

That's because we can't have nice things. It isn't worth it for a club to have someone there to monitor usage and collects fees, provide security. And tracks and facilities are expensive to install and maintain so they need to protect their investment. How many years have DSD being looking for a track?

It wasn't today or yesterday that I used belfield track, be there were times you would go and someone had destroyed the mats that were there or otherwise vandalised stuff.

When society respects things then maybe we can get more resources opened up. And yes it is a small minority but that is all it takes to ruin things for others

Rossi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122268360#Comment_122268360

So you want a club to pay for someone to monitor usage and collects fees, provide security so Joe Public can use their facilities ?

Our club has rented out the track and club house to various organizations in the last few weeks. One incident, the toilets were deliberately flooded, resulting in the entire changing rooms covered in water. 2nd incident the toilet bowl was was forcefully dislodged resulting in human waste all over the floor. 3rd incident, said toilet cubicle was locked ( waiting to be repaired), was forcefully opened and a grown man emptied his bowels into it. A club volunteer had to physically remove it.

So in short it's not worth the hassle for clubs to have Joe Public pay the odd €5 here and there so they can run on a track when it suits them.

Nuttzz

There is a new council provided track in Cabinteely, free to use when clubs are not using it. If there's a will there's a way. We need more community facilities, not necessarily tied to one club. We pay enough in LPT and if DLR can do so can others.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270726#Comment_122270726

That sound fantastic, more of this is what's needed. Be nice if Fingal CC took a leaf out of SDCC book

Rossi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122132032#Comment_122132032

If I need to get on our track at the crack of dawn I could, that's more a reflection on your club than anything. Not sure why your club would refuse you entry on it.

ergo

Agree the lack of publicly accessible tracks in IRL is shameful

Remember being on a holiday in France back in the day when I was training for marathons, managed to find publicly accessible proper tracks in the towns of Orange and Montpellier with no hassle, whatever town we were in seemed to have one

Dubh Geannain

In terms of tartan tracks in Meath. There's championship size tracks in Navan and Dunboyne. Navan is pay as you use. €3 for the hour. Dunboyne requires membership for access I think.

There are other tartan tracks like Fr. Murphy's near Athboy which has a new 400m track that requires either club membership or just track membership. Bohermeen has an older non-standard size track. Again I think you can just pay a track membership but some of these smaller locations you would get away with walking in. Trim has planning approval for a 300m track that hopefully turns the first sod in the next year or two.