GAA Infastructure

Stoner wrote: »

Sure Munster's colour is red

zetecescort wrote: »

on course for early June opening according to the Cork Co Board

blue note wrote: »

What was the outcome of the EU investigation into the funding for this stadium? I remember it being an issue and I couldn't see how it was a justifiable use of public money, so I was interested in hearing how it was going to be answered. But as far as I can see the question was ignored and now it has gone away - is that accurate?

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/shock-as-30m-pirc-u-chaoimh-grant-facing-eu-probe-34158532.html

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

Surely it could be used for football 1/4 finals. Bar the dubs and Ulster teams. If a Munster team or Galway/Mayo were to be playing then would they not look at playing it there as opposed to a half empty Croke Park?

Boom__Boom wrote: »

The EU approved it in the end but said that no more government money was allowed be used. I'd say there was some fun conversations behind closed doors on this one - had the whiff of political pressure being applied.

What no-one seems to be asking about is the shortfall in the funding.

A huge chunk of the premium tickets remain unsold (supposedly divisional boards have been pressured into using their funds to buy some), the amount they are going to get for naming rights is supposedly less than budgeted for, there's going to be no concert there this year when the plan was for up to 3 a year to be held, footballers are going to be in Division 2 again next year (which probably won't make much of an impact on the number of Cork supporters at the games but will have a serious impact in terms of away supporters)

The big one is the premium tickets which were supposed to raise €13 million but apparently there's something of the order of a €10 million short-fall there. The Cork County Board will continue releasing pictures of the stadium but won't say a word about the finances of the project.

This is in addition to there being a fairly severe over-run on the initial budget.

Fears P?irc U? Chaoimh cost may rise to €85m

Friday, June 16, 2017
Denis Hurley
Cork County Board have refused to comment amid fears that the cost of the P?irc U? Chaoimh redevelopment project may rise to €85m.

With original estimates for the stadium redevelopment at €70m, in November 2015 a special meeting of county board delegates was informed that the figure had risen to €78m. It now appears that that figure had been revised upwards again, but there has been no official comment from Cork chiefs.

Board chairman Ger Lane would not comment on speculation that the cost had increased towards the €85m mark.

Lane did confirm yesterday that a stadium manager for the new P?irc U? Chaoimh will not be appointed immediately.

On Monday, it was revealed that the stadium wouldn’t be open in time for either Munster final this year, with an event in late July — expected to be the All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals — instead slated as the opening.

While delegates at Tuesday’s monthly county board meeting were not updated on the process of recruiting a stadium manager, Lane has revealed that an appointment is not in the offing.

“There’s no appointment and I don’t foresee any immediate appointment either,” he said.

“All of that will be dealt with by the executive and the steering committee. Anything in relation to that will come before the executive, but we’re not appointing a stadium manager in the short-to-medium term.”

Last November, John Mullins — chairman of the stadium business committee, charged with the commercial side of the operation — said the appointment of such a person was the next significant step.

“We’ve drawn up a job description and there have been conversations with a recruitment agency while, as you might expect, a number of people have been in touch and sent in CVs in advance of that happening,” said Mullins.

“We have to get this right, and in all our conversations on this topic we’ve mentioned people like Peter [McKenna, Croke Park stadium manager] and Martin [Murphy, Aviva Stadium].

“These guys were brought in ahead of the commissioning of the stadium, and generally with these guys you need people who know every nook and cranny of the stadium they’re managing, and that’s what we want.

“So we have a job description and we’ve had conversations with recruiters about this, because obviously these guys don’t grow on trees.”

However, the job was not advertised and no interviews took place. For now, it would appear that the organisation of the facility will be kept in-house.

“Before we had the stadium, a lot of that was done by the senior administrator anyway,” said Lane.

“If you were booking the stadium for Sciath na Scol or whatever, or P?irc U? Rinn for training, that was done through the office.”

zetecescort wrote: »

GAA have confirmed hurling 1/4 finals in PUC on July 23