GAA Infastructure

munchkin_utd · 06-02-2013 1:26pm

cormac halpin wrote: »

Its just baffling. I understand their issues up there, but surely a community stadium would make far more sense. What a waste.

you havent done your research.

The original plan WAS for a joint stadium a little down the M1 where the Maze prison is but bit by bit opposition to the location grew and rather than one really swish shared stadium the existing 3 are being redeveloped.
The reasoning was that it would be better to have the facilities near town rather than in the middle of nowhere off a motorway (and beside the main Dublin-Belfast railway, but anyhow)
An unstated reason was a lack of love of the location on both sides as its history as THE main prision in Northern Ireland was always going to be associated with it.
And the catalysist for redeciding the issue in the first place leading to cancellation was belfast city council meddling in the whole affair by suggesting a stadium in Ormeau Park either by sacrificing parkland and/or existing community soccer pitches.

The timeline though was the joint stadium plan being abandoned due to lack of willingness and fear of massive cost (400million plus) in 2009 and in 2010 the announcement of 100million grants to be shared among the associations to doll up the existing facilities, with 50million STG cash for GAA (€57 mllion), 30million for soccer and 20 for Rugby.

I agree that a shared stadium would have been the best but right from the off the idea of basing it where the Maze prison (think H Block, hunger strikes, etc etc) was just plain strange and doomed to failure.

cormac halpin · 06-02-2013 1:36pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

you havent done your research.

The original plan WAS for a joint stadium a little down the M1 where the Maze prison is but bit by bit opposition to the location grew and rather than one really swish shared stadium the existing 3 are being redeveloped.
The reasoning was that it would be better to have the facilities near town rather than in the middle of nowhere off a motorway (and beside the main Dublin-Belfast railway, but anyhow)
An unstated reason was a lack of love of the location on both sides as its history as THE main prision in Northern Ireland was always going to be associated with it.
And the catalysist for redeciding the issue in the first place leading to cancellation was belfast city council meddling in the whole affair by suggesting a stadium in Ormeau Park either by sacrificing parkland and/or existing community soccer pitches.

The timeline though was the joint stadium plan being abandoned due to lack of willingness and fear of massive cost (400million plus) in 2009 and in 2010 the announcement of 100million grants to be shared among the associations to doll up the existing facilities, with 50million STG cash for GAA (€57 mllion), 30million for soccer and 20 for Rugby.

I agree that a shared stadium would have been the best but right from the off the idea of basing it where the Maze prison (think H Block, hunger strikes, etc etc) was just plain strange and doomed to failure.

No, I was aware of all that re the H Blocks etc, I just still believe its madness to do what they are doing. Ravenhill is a shíthole and no amount of money will change that, as is Windsor, and to píss more money into these relics is madness no matter how you look at it. Perhaps the H Blocks was the wrong venue, but to minorly redevelop 3 white elephants over one state of the art stadium seems ridiculous, but then again, this is Belfast we're talking about and decisions are hard reached up there and it seems not much will change going forward in this regard.

68Murph68 · 06-02-2013 1:52pm

According to an Antrim GAA document I found linked on Wikipedia the capacity of the stadium is already 32,600

http://antrim.gaa.ie/uploads/documents/AntrimStrategy.pdf
Page 15

What would be very interesting to see is how many times Casement was full in the last 10/15 years?

So the plain is to spend £78.5m to increase the capacity by 7,400 ? :eek:

I'm really struggling to see much in the way of logic in this.

munchkin_utd · 06-02-2013 2:02pm

cormac halpin wrote: »

No, I was aware of all that re the H Blocks etc, I just still believe its madness to do what they are doing. Ravenhill is a shíthole and no amount of money will change that, as is Windsor, and to píss more money into these relics is madness no matter how you look at it. Perhaps the H Blocks was the wrong venue, but to minorly redevelop 3 white elephants over one state of the art stadium seems ridiculous, but then again, this is Belfast we're talking about and decisions are hard reached up there and it seems not much will change going forward in this regard.

I wouldnt be throwing stones from the southern glasshouse either!

What happened the bertie bowl isnt a fierce amount different.
The government wanted to build a gigantic greenfield stadium in the middle of nowhere that no association really got behind for one reason or the other.

Another issue is that a stadium with 50 or 60 thousand capacity is too big for Northern Ireland soccer needs as theres only so many fans that that outfit attracts for internationals and with their current setup (playing god save the queen for starters) they are going to continue to be shunned by nationalist supporters and even more tellingly prospective players.
a 15,000 seater stadium is plenty for the IFA to be honest and even the IRFU has no interest in a larger stadium that would make their massive investment in Landsdowne worthless.

If a 50,000+seater stadium was built in Northern Ireland then they would be compelled to have some 6nation games up there to justify its existance leaving the Aviva standing idle and not generating revenue, leaving dissapointed season ticket box holders and costing the IRFU rent on the NI stadium when they could have used their own in Dublin for free.

but just like the soccer, a NI super stadium would still be far too large for normal Ulster rubgy games and if I understand it correctly even a major Ulster heineken cup knockout game wouldn't be held there as they cannot use their home venue (which is the reason they are going to Dublin for their next game as it CANNOT be held in Ravenhill even if they wanted it to !)

antoobrien · 06-02-2013 2:34pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

I agree that a shared stadium would have been the best but right from the off the idea of basing it where the Maze prison (think H Block, hunger strikes, etc etc) was just plain strange and doomed to failure.

In fairness is it any worse than the idea of a (catholic) Cathedral being built on the site of an old jail where prisoners were regularly executed by the crown? They did this in Galway and it has "rehabilitated" the site of the old jail, it would be possible for the maze too if people were willing to let go of the past.

Tom Joad · 06-02-2013 2:45pm

antoobrien wrote: »

In fairness is it any worse than the idea of a (catholic) Cathedral being built on the site of an old jail where prisoners were regularly executed by the crown? They did this in Galway and it has "rehabilitated" the site of the old jail, it would be possible for the maze too if people were willing to let go of the past.

That was in Galway though - which is a million miles (metaphorically of course from Belfast).

Bottom line is this redevelopment of Casement is a white elephant and will never be justified as it will never be full, will never be shared with other sports and is an awful location logistically, especially when there is enough adequate grounds in Ulster which are under utilised such as Breffni Park which has a capacity of 32,000 and has had significant investment in recent times and is in a far better location..

antoobrien · 06-02-2013 2:56pm

Tom Joad wrote: »

That was in Galway though - which is a million miles (metaphorically of course from Belfast).

I grew up with my grandfather telling stories about how when he was a boy the tans used to come through the village in their trucks and everybody hid in case they'd get a beating or worse (a regular occurrence), so with all due disrespect be quiet. The fact that a large amount of the problems associated with what the crown did in this country have been forgotten or let go make the no less divisive than what happened in Belfast. The difference being that up north they did it to each other and more recently.

Next time you're in Galway take a walk through the Cathedral car park - you'll find the monument to people executed by the crown - a good many of whom who were stitched up. When the Cathedral was built the feelings about the jail were still raw, but time and a new better use has helped heal the wounds. There's no reason why the same cannot happen with the maze.

To misquote Behan slightly: F**k the backwards s**tes.

Tom Joad · 06-02-2013 3:12pm

antoobrien wrote: »

I grew up with my grandfather telling stories about how when he was a boy the tans used to come through the village in their trucks and everybody hid in case they'd get a beating or worse (a regular occurrence), so with all due disrespect be quiet. The fact that a large amount of the problems associated with what the crown did in this country have been forgotten or let go make the no less divisive than what happened in Belfast. The difference being that up north they did it to each other and more recently.

Next time you're in Galway take a walk through the Cathedral car park - you'll find the monument to people executed by the crown - a good many of whom who were stitched up. When the Cathedral was built the feelings about the jail were still raw, but time and a new better use has helped heal the wounds. There's no reason why the same cannot happen with the maze.

To misquote Behan slightly: F**k the backwards s**tes.

I agree with all the above - big difference is as you said above and while things have moved on in Belfast, not that much.

Anyway its a moot point now as the three codes are going there own way and the maze plan or any other plan to share facilities is not goin to happen in the short term. Still makes the redevelopment of Casement a ridiculous idea and is not needed and will be a white elephant.

Haven't been in Galway in a while but will definitely check out that monument.

cormac halpin · 06-02-2013 3:19pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

I wouldnt be throwing stones from the southern glasshouse either!

What happened the bertie bowl isnt a fierce amount different.
The government wanted to build a gigantic greenfield stadium in the middle of nowhere that no association really got behind for one reason or the other.

Why the pop about the South? What has that got to do with anything, I have already highlighted the sheer number of white elephants in, what you deem, "The South" and cast aspersions on the decision to build the Frank bowl in Cork. Uncalled for.

Another issue is that a stadium with 50 or 60 thousand capacity is too big for Northern Ireland soccer needs as theres only so many fans that that outfit attracts for internationals and with their current setup (playing god save the queen for starters) they are going to continue to be shunned by nationalist supporters and even more tellingly prospective players.
a 15,000 seater stadium is plenty for the IFA to be honest and even the IRFU has no interest in a larger stadium that would make their massive investment in Landsdowne worthless.

Do the GAA need a 50 or 60K stadium? Wouldn't 25-30 do for all?

If a 50,000+seater stadium was built in Northern Ireland then they would be compelled to have some 6nation games up there to justify its existance leaving the Aviva standing idle and not generating revenue, leaving dissapointed season ticket box holders and costing the IRFU rent on the NI stadium when they could have used their own in Dublin for free.

but just like the soccer, a NI super stadium would still be far too large for normal Ulster rubgy games and if I understand it correctly even a major Ulster heineken cup knockout game wouldn't be held there as they cannot use their home venue (which is the reason they are going to Dublin for their next game as it CANNOT be held in Ravenhill even if they wanted it to !)

No one was saying anything different. 25-30 would suffice for Northern Ireland as a whole.

Hibbeler · 07-02-2013 4:25pm

Is there no site at all in Belfast that could have been considered for a single NI stadium? I think I read somewhere that they did look for one but couldnt agree on one as the GAA weren't too keen on it being in a largely unionist area and the soccer crowd not too keen on a largely nationalist area? Surely there is an area that could have been neutral ground? Pardon my ignorance of these matters.

As an aside, what do the plans for windsor park and ravenhill look like, capacity wise. Maybe they are the right size for NI soccer and Ulster rugby needs while the GAA one is too big? How much funding is UK government providing and how is it divided?

kksaints · 07-02-2013 7:00pm

Hibbeler wrote: »

Is there no site at all in Belfast that could have been considered for a single NI stadium? I think I read somewhere that they did look for one but couldnt agree on one as the GAA weren't too keen on it being in a largely unionist area and the soccer crowd not too keen on a largely nationalist area? Surely there is an area that could have been neutral ground? Pardon my ignorance of these matters.

As an aside, what do the plans for windsor park and ravenhill look like, capacity wise. Maybe they are the right size for NI soccer and Ulster rugby needs while the GAA one is too big? How much funding is UK government providing and how is it divided?

The plans for Windsor Park are for an 18000 seater stadium.
http://www.irishfa.com/news/item/7418/windsor-park-redevelopment-project/
The IFA dont actually own Windsor Park, Linfield FC do.
http://http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/irish/8334996.stm

munchkin_utd · 08-02-2013 9:44am

back on topic, the issue of Casement is in the news as they have just announced a public consultation on the plans (which you are supposed to consider and judge without any sign of them actually publishing them ! )
http://gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0602132249-casement-park-public-consultation-announced/

Another view of the stadium is here:

It would be really interesting to see how they propose to deal with the traffic issues because the only concept I saw is to take the train, which is great for those of us in Cavan/ Monaghan/ Donegal/ Tyrone/ Fermanagh with no railway, leaving aside that few enough would take public transport to games anyhow. They did also mention a 1km exclusion zone, but thats also not going to create any extra parking spaces for the 99% that will travel by car no matter how much you doll up the alternatives.
The chaos caused by Donegal fans intent on getting as close to Croker as possible for the all Ireland final being a concrete example of fans ignoring all advice and just doing what they want - en-masse.

Tom Joad · 08-02-2013 5:34pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

back on topic, the issue of Casement is in the news as they have just announced a public consultation on the plans (which you are supposed to consider and judge without any sign of them actually publishing them ! )
http://gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0602132249-casement-park-public-consultation-announced/

Another view of the stadium is here:

It would be really interesting to see how they propose to deal with the traffic issues because the only concept I saw is to take the train, which is great for those of us in Cavan/ Monaghan/ Donegal/ Tyrone/ Fermanagh with no railway, leaving aside that few enough would take public transport to games anyhow. They did also mention a 1km exclusion zone, but thats also not going to create any extra parking spaces for the 99% that will travel by car no matter how much you doll up the alternatives.
The chaos caused by Donegal fans intent on getting as close to Croker as possible for the all Ireland final being a concrete example of fans ignoring all advice and just doing what they want - en-masse.

Bit in bold is so true and why this will be a disaster plus add in the distinctly unhelpful local constabulary and you have all the making of another white elephant - any money should be spent on Breffni or Clones..

celt262 · 08-02-2013 6:48pm

Tom Joad wrote: »

Bit in bold is so true and why this will be a disaster plus add in the distinctly unhelpful local constabulary and you have all the making of another white elephant - any money should be spent on Breffni or Clones..

The brits are not going to spend money on a stadium in the South.

If money is to spent it should be on getting Donegal's ground up to scratch and flood lights for Clones. Although i would like to see a covered stand in Breffni covering the entire length of field. There are alot of good grounds in Ulster now and any money that is there should be used to keep them maintained and small upgrades where necessary.

No need for white elephants.

Tom Joad · 08-02-2013 6:53pm

Casement is a daft idea Celt but i think there is merit in having or aiming towards having a 40 - 45k ground in Ulster and best options for that is either Clones (poor access etc stands against it) or Breffni (wouldn't take much to bring it up to that standard and of the grounds in Ulster is probably best located.

As you said no more white elephants:)

celt262 · 08-02-2013 6:59pm

Tom Joad wrote: »

Casement is a daft idea Celt but i think there is merit in having or aiming towards having a 40 - 45k ground in Ulster and best options for that is either Clones (poor access etc stands against it) or Breffni (wouldn't take much to bring it up to that standard and of the grounds in Ulster is probably best located.

As you said no more white elephants:)

Best located for the likes of us

I dont think there is merit in having a 40 - 45k ground in Ulster it wouldn't even be filled once a year.

Tom Joad · 08-02-2013 7:02pm

celt262 wrote: »

Best located for the likes of us

I dont think there is merit in having a 40 - 45k ground in Ulster it wouldn't even be filled once a year.

not really - not as if we'd have any interest in the final.

Seriously though Ulster is only province without one and breffni also has the advantage of location and would be a good alternate location for Portlaois, Mullingar etc..

celt262 · 08-02-2013 7:08pm

Tom Joad wrote: »

not really - not as if we'd have any interest in the final.

Seriously though Ulster is only province without one and breffni also has the advantage of location and would be a good alternate location for Portlaois, Mullingar etc..

Id love to have that in Cavan but when it didn't happen in boom it wont happen now. It's not a bad stadium anyway and alot of counties would love to have it especially the like of Kildare. Meath and Louth and even Donegal.

J Cheever Loophole · 09-02-2013 9:28pm

The public money that is being used to redevelop Casement was available on a 'use it or lose it' basis. It had all to be used on one ground only, and of course given the source of the money, the ground / site chosen had to be in the six counties. This is the background to the Casement redevelopment.

The ground itself would have been a regular host for Ulster Finals before the troubles - it holds the record attendance for a GAA match played in Ulster - the 41,000 who attended the 1961 Ulster Final between Down and Armagh. It has in recent years held crowds in excess of 20,000 and on one or two occasions in excess of 30,000 - two that come to mind are the 35,000 who attended the Down v Derry Ulster semi-final in 1992, and the 32,000 who attended one of the Antrim v Derry Ulster semi-finals in 2000.

The increase in the official capacity to 38,000 will enable it to host Ulster Finals, and my understanding is that the intention is to host other major events, including concerts. Again from memory, the ground will have executive boxes.

Casement has parking issues yes, but these same issues are common to all the major grounds in Ulster which occupy inned city or urban sites, i.e. every other major County ground in Ulster.

I personally think it's great and cannot wait to see it finished - my only gripe is that the Andersonstown Road end will not have covered accommodation for spectators.

munchkin_utd · 11-02-2013 12:11pm

J Cheever Loophole wrote: »

<snip>
I personally think it's great and cannot wait to see it finished - my only gripe is that the Andersonstown Road end will not have covered accommodation for spectators.

why is that a problem?

The 2 covered stands along the pitch will likely cater for 20,000+spectators between them which is plenty for all but the very odd midsummer championship clash.

J Cheever Loophole · 11-02-2013 3:50pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

why is that a problem?

The 2 covered stands along the pitch will likely cater for 20,000+spectators between them which is plenty for all but the very odd midsummer championship clash.

The weather can get very inclement up here during the summer. The problem therefore will arise for those who are sitting out in the pouring rain in a very expensive stadium!

Given the money spent, I was hoping for something totally new to the GAA, i.e. a major ground with covered spectator accommodation on four sides - a minimum requirement surely?

Prop Joe · 11-02-2013 8:41pm

cormac halpin wrote: »

The GAA has a plethora of white elephants around the country at this stage,

I dunno,I think the GAA should start upgrading facilities of all county grounds.

I think it would be great to take the Championship on a tour of the country.

An All Ireland semi in Belfast or Castlebar would be a great occasion.

Also i think the GAA should look to get more events in the county grounds.

Katie Taylor boxing in Markievicz Park

Tyson Fury boxing in Pearse Stadium

We have seen The Boss confirm for Nowlan Park imagine getting more concerts for county grounds.

Pete_Cavan · 09-06-2013 5:17pm

GAA confirms details of €9m development at National Sports Campus;

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0706131031-gaa-confirms-details-of-its-development-at-national-sports-campus/

The new facility will include four full size pitches including one to the scale of Croke Park; a full size 3G training facility; a hurling wall; a state-of-the-art pavilion to include 10 changing rooms, a viewing gallery for 350 people and ancillary space to cater for offices, meeting rooms, physiotherapy, a gym and a canteen. Parking spaces for 256 cars and eights coaches have also been included.

The decision by the government to install the common infrastructure and give sporting bodies their own section to develop their own facilites themselves was a good one, we would have to wait a lot longer for the government to develop it. GAA, IRFU, FAI and Irish Hockey Association were all allocated sites and the GAA seems to be the first to act on theirs. Good to see this moving ahead, it will be an important resource if county teams are looking to train in Dublin. Suggestions are that the Dublin County Board will manage the facility for the GAA with Dublin teams based here and Dublins own Centre of Excellence put on the long finger.

It is also good for sport nationally to see progress being made on the National Sports Campus. Only a few weeks ago 19 national governing bodies moved into a building at the National Sports Campus. Hopefully other organisations will follow the GAAs lead and we will see more developments on the site.

Pete_Cavan · 10-06-2013 7:35pm

The redevelopment of Casement Park seems to be moving ahead, with consultations held during March and April, including consultations for clubs, county boards and individual members outside of Belfast which is interesting; http://www.casementpark.ie/local-resident-information/upcomingcommunityconsultationevents

130318%20-%20Community%20consultation.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7cqvgPGdX4m9wryThlWagK4z5CYyWa9-FoiTAWZS2u9jUKkkBF1xP1nbD5H9zkwEoncYG1jWrtkTPeAZVDz-vev6IdGHk6JgihcEk-uHaR9SqnbKDXL7Hqpb61TqyDH93ZK9cH1sw0EeMd4jJEW4BZ_7YR3QUFJSPBj_6PxuQnllSw0awQOLzfE-Gu3zs81qpdGrYdNtmHoNaOMT5g1Cb41PyTB5lUEDl9y3qKYKeiNuVXGBfGAzK6Tyf5XZ_eqaWkYzIYJne1MYH2HZ0hXfYH6h1tHUKoFulONygYX7pG3s5Mi5DnIza2LYhYPNSv7QwCTwlyKvYT0REcEzsr2aYeME6m3AfA%3D%3D&attredirects=0

With over £61m secured from the Northern Ireland Executive, the project looks to be advancing at a good pace. More renders of the completed stadium and details on the design and layout of the stadium are available here. Interesting that in the Consultation Boards link, the Andersonstown Road stand has no roof but does in the drawings. According to the layout drawings, the player, media and medical facilities, as well as the carpark will be below the Andersonstown Road ground level to allow them to extend to the extremities of the site, with the general concourse level at road level. The playing surface will also be below the road level.
Consultation%20Image.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7cq6WkXI34fTJZjen2hgaa6OsW8ebbugO1StqxhLatBoEQca80-Qo8oV26O7YIrJ4tK935ZjrBAUKvekfrTD0hLAifjc9DEYN2bPPpyha-0bfczvkxG2AHLx5v__7M820xIupx2ogOrUG4E7YWddwsnQtC73r170W1rHH89q-2njOO154cQIpzRTVze-SKrJ6pHTKAtv2RpNzun89-DhoqHlKzhmQB-_trQvlZyd0PNyKBFU2hkpHRiiyhpPzQcl4M1umy6qM_DYE16oBFsOKllNmFWiT8zilM-vTnbDDPptC4WUTzY%3D&attredirects=0

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InchicoreDude · 10-06-2013 7:56pm

Prop Joe wrote: »

I dunno,I think the GAA should start upgrading facilities of all county grounds.

I think it would be great to take the Championship on a tour of the country.

An All Ireland semi in Belfast or Castlebar would be a great occasion.

That's a terrific idea. But the problem is for some (most?) all-ireland semi-finals, you have the potential to get 50k or more which only Croke Pk can manage to hold.

You are also denying players the opportunity of playing in Croke Pk, something they train all year for. I remember Galway won connacht a few years ago and there were murmurings at the time that the AI quarter-final would not be held in croke park (as Dublin were in another QF and because of the attendance they could get, they were not on a double header). But there was serious unhappiness amongst the Galway panel at the time. I think Padraig Joyce may have spoken about it in an interview mentioning that by winning connacht, all the panel expected to be playing in Croke Pk as the next step. I cant imagine how they would feel if they were sent to Castlebar to play that all-ireland quarter final! But then back in 2001, thats exactly where the quarter final was held....

Frankie Lee · 11-06-2013 12:36am

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

GAA confirms details of €9m development at National Sports Campus;

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0706131031-gaa-confirms-details-of-its-development-at-national-sports-campus/

The decision by the government to install the common infrastructure and give sporting bodies their own section to develop their own facilites themselves was a good one, we would have to wait a lot longer for the government to develop it. GAA, IRFU, FAI and Irish Hockey Association were all allocated sites and the GAA seems to be the first to act on theirs. Good to see this moving ahead, it will be an important resource if county teams are looking to train in Dublin. Suggestions are that the Dublin County Board will manage the facility for the GAA with Dublin teams based here and Dublins own Centre of Excellence put on the long finger.

It is also good for sport nationally to see progress being made on the National Sports Campus. Only a few weeks ago 19 national governing bodies moved into a building at the National Sports Campus. Hopefully other organisations will follow the GAAs lead and we will see more developments on the site.

I'm all for the promotion of GAA in the capital and it is good to see the GAA take advantage of the land available but it is somewhat unfair that the wealthiest county board in the country get a centre of excellence built for them. Meanwhile other counties like Kildare are under severe financial strain after building theirs. I understand the facility will be available to all counties but it won't be practical for anyone apart from Dublin.

joebloggs32 · 11-06-2013 2:27am

Frankie Lee wrote: »

I'm all for the promotion of GAA in the capital and it is good to see the GAA take advantage of the land available but it is somewhat unfair that the wealthiest county board in the country get a centre of excellence built for them. Meanwhile other counties like Kildare are under severe financial strain after building theirs. I understand the facility will be available to all counties but it won't be practical for anyone apart from Dublin.

I couldn't agree with the you more.

munchkin_utd · 11-06-2013 8:35am

Frankie Lee wrote: »

I'm all for the promotion of GAA in the capital and it is good to see the GAA take advantage of the land available but it is somewhat unfair that the wealthiest county board in the country get a centre of excellence built for them. Meanwhile other counties like Kildare are under severe financial strain after building theirs. I understand the facility will be available to all counties but it won't be practical for anyone apart from Dublin.

a lot of other counties built similar facilities with the windfall from the renting out of croke park.
It might be something to list here along with the provincial centres which were built and only opened very recently.

Pete_Cavan · 11-06-2013 9:23am

Frankie Lee wrote: »

I'm all for the promotion of GAA in the capital and it is good to see the GAA take advantage of the land available but it is somewhat unfair that the wealthiest county board in the country get a centre of excellence built for them. Meanwhile other counties like Kildare are under severe financial strain after building theirs. I understand the facility will be available to all counties but it won't be practical for anyone apart from Dublin.

The article does say that the Dublin County Board will be contributing to the costs of developing facilities at Abbotstown, which other counties will not be doing.

Kildare being under severe financial strain is of their own making and most likely has a lot to do with other factors apart from just the centre of excellence. You have to question the logic of pumping a huge sum of money into the centre of excellenc, an asset which doesnt produce much income (in the short term at least) and leaving your stadium, which can produce income, to rot.

keane2097 · 11-06-2013 11:53am

Investing 9M into a centre of excellence for Dublin when the grassroots all over the country are crying out for investment is a scandal.

GAA Infastructure

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