Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

[Burnsie]

Do those pitches not have a 10yr lifespan?

typically seven years I think

[sbgawa]

is it not substantially cheaper to replace an existing one in terms of the groundwork being significantly in place already.

[Elfman]

It is but Dundalk are doing it the Max Power way – that's the wrong way... But faster!

Jokes aside, I vaguely recall someone claiming that to save money Dundalk opted against laying a shock absorbing pad when the 2017 pitch went down. So possibly that or costs have just gone up again.

[Nesta99]

You wouldnt get a pitch to pass testing without the shock absrobing layer. Now maybe that wasnt relayed or needed relaying. A lot of the issues with the deterioration of these surfaces are the quality of the initial laying. One previous owner had the surface layer relaid by his own company workers and it wasnt right. Not convinced by the last installation either, if you can see joins... Keeping maintenance up to scratch is where this last iteration significantly deteriorated the last 3 years or so. There is modifications to this pitch dimensions which require foundation work. It has to be moved/extended I presume to increase the distance between goal line and perimiter wall behind the Carrick Road goal.

[ToberonaTornado]

Louth girls under-age combo league played about 9 finals final matches on the old surface on Saturday.(Albeit not full 90min games) packed stand cheering them on (vital Community link)
The main pitch @ Oriel is in huge demand 7 days a week.
If we get a pitch half as good as Bray have I'll be ok with that.
The Floodlights are also getting an upgrade
Small steps as we look to recover.....

[John83]

They come out in a rash at the thoughts of getting a red line Luas.
They're just uncomfortable with the concept of free travel for the unwashed.

[Nesta99]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/1127/1546158-no-grand-designs-footballs-infrastructure-logjam/

First time ive heard that a long term lease eg the one on Oriel precludes from capital grant applications, it would make sense in terms of nothing done but the lease is a long time on the go and still has 70+ years left. Greenfield site should top the options but that not what the club and consultants opted for.

[Dalymountrower]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/1127/1546158-no-grand-designs-footballs-infrastructure-logjam/

First time ive heard that a long term lease eg the one on Oriel precludes from capital grant applications, it would make sense in terms of nothing done but the lease is a long time on the go and still has 70+ years left. Greenfield site should top the options but that not what the club and consultants opted for.

The article is well worth a read.

[Martinho II]

The article is well worth a read.

Superb read this piece. It brings back memories of the long period of time we had to wait between moving out of Abbeycartron for Bishopsgate. The groundworks at Bishopsgate stalled for close to a decade !

[brendy_éire]

Brandywell pitch being ripped up at some stage next year, and there's talk of us trying to use Celtic Park. Makes sense.
Not sure why there's talk of Sligo Showgrounds as a back-up when Maginn Park (or even Finn Park) are closer. It's not like we'd get that big a crowd going to Sligo for a match.

https://share.google/6XvTqxUAbJXH4Rs98

[Mr A]

With Harps having a women's team this year, it would be a big challenge to have more games there, but if it's at the end of the Irish League season the weather could potentially make it possible to use Finn Park

[dundalkfc10]

Is the pitch Derry played on a few years ago not available.

[Mr A]

Maginn.. yeah it probably would be, owned by Inishowen League

[brendy_éire]

Celtic Park confirmed, according to the Examiner.
Genuinely surprised at that. A great arrangement.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-41752671.html

[Nesta99]

Should stick up a poster of yiz playing a Celtic X1 in Celtic Park, make a small fortune........

[placid casual]

Probably a hard question to answer at this stage, but would the safety for away fans be any better/worse in the gaa ground?

[Dalymountrower]

Probably a hard question to answer at this stage, but would the safety for away fans be any better/worse in the gaa ground?

Been in Celtic Park a few times to see the Dubs vDerry and always had a good time there.

Unfortunately it probably has more safety issues for away fans than the Brandywell. There is a big terrace behind the south goal but access is from the Lone Moor Road. A lot more houses there too than the away entrance into the Brandywell.
Sure Derry will fill the 18,000 capacity with no away fans and the other clubs will reciprocate with no away Derry fans for corresponding fixtures ?
( would be sensible to do that for a few years for the Bohs fixtures anyway)

[Martinho II]

Great arrangement for Derry City is Celtic Park far from Brandywell? Forgot that Institute play in the Brandywell.

[brendy_éire]

Probably a hard question to answer at this stage, but would the safety for away fans be any better/worse in the gaa ground?

Pretty much the same, if not better? Hard to know.
There's a car park behind each of the goals, so could keep things quite separate.

[refjohn]

Great arrangement for Derry City is Celtic Park far from Brandywell? Forgot that Institute play in the Brandywell.

Next door literally. Maybe 200 metres up the hill

[Martinho II]

Next door literally. Maybe 200 metres up the hill

Silly me ! Of course I know it now ya tell me! Last time I stayed over night in Derry when we played them I remember walking by their ground and some steep hill it is too!

[sbgawa]

That hill wasnt half as steep back in the 90s

[Nesta99]

Years of practice sbgawa, it just got easier with age and that hill always seemed tougher with city centre pints on board!

[oriel]

Good progress on the pitch, this is not even after 2 weeks.

https://x.com/DundalkFC/status/1996666002273345883?s=20

[brendy_éire]

Maginn.. yeah it probably would be, owned by Inishowen League

Maginn doesn't have a Premier license, neither does Finn Park, hence Sligo Showgrounds is the back-up to Celtic Park.

[redobit]

Maginn doesn't have a Premier license, neither does Finn Park, hence Sligo Showgrounds is the back-up to Celtic Park.

Does that mean Celtic park had to apply and get approved for a premier league licence.

[Mr A]

Am sure exceptions could be made for a temporary period when the reason is ground upgrades

[Guitd]

Am sure exceptions could be made for a temporary period when the reason is ground upgrades

So 2 premier teams will be playing in Gaa stadiums during next summer Derry City and Galway United great to see 10 y ago this wouldn’t have happened

[Roones26]

"Action 2.8 Develop an island wide dual-use facilities strategy

Recognising the need for greater efficiency and inclusivity, the GAA should lead the development of
a dual-use and shared-access facilities strategy in collaboration with schools, local authorities, and
community organisations.


This framework would:


. Enable underutilised GAA facilities, especially in rural areas, to serve as multi-use community hubs
during off-peak times (e.g. school hours).


. Facilitate reciprocal access for GAA clubs to local authority, school, or community facilities,
particularly in space-constrained urban areas.


· Establish clear governance, scheduling, and maintenance protocols to ensure fairness, safety, and
accountability.


· Reduce duplication of investment while maximising participation and supporting lifelong
engagement in sport."

You would wonder os this a more widespread softening by the GAA on access to facilities and sharing facilities

[EatYerGreens]

"Action 2.8 Develop an island wide dual-use facilities strategy

Recognising the need for greater efficiency and inclusivity, the GAA should lead the development of
a dual-use and shared-access facilities strategy in collaboration with schools, local authorities, and
community organisations.


This framework would:


. Enable underutilised GAA facilities, especially in rural areas, to serve as multi-use community hubs
during off-peak times (e.g. school hours).


. Facilitate reciprocal access for GAA clubs to local authority, school, or community facilities,
particularly in space-constrained urban areas.


· Establish clear governance, scheduling, and maintenance protocols to ensure fairness, safety, and
accountability.


· Reduce duplication of investment while maximising participation and supporting lifelong
engagement in sport."

You would wonder os this a more widespread softening by the GAA on access to facilities and sharing facilities

Yes - it's strategic.

The GAA have had the good sense to realise that the exhalted and privileged position they had in the old Ireland is in serious danger of not transfering over into the new Ireland. They have mapped out where their clubs and players are versus where the population on the island is, and there is a huge mismatch. GAA clubs are overly represented in rural areas, which are suffering depopulation. The number of clubs now unable to field a regular 15 players is so high that they're looking at enabling competiitons for teams of only 11 or even 9 players. And their sports are under-represented in urban areas, on an island which is urbanising at an accelerated rate. Talk of sharing facilities etc make sense when you can see viability issues coming towards you on the road ahead.

Asides from all that, it's just sensible land usage anyway. Especially in urban areas. Would be ridiculous to expect every field sport in Dubin to have lots of its own individual spaces all over the city - when land vaues are high and housing need off the scale.