More Trouble for Rovers?

Minister softens stance on Tallaght Stadium

AN APPARENT softening of attitude by the Minister for Sport on the use of the proposed Tallaght Stadium has raised Dublin GAA hopes that they may yet get access to the ground.

Minister John O'Donoghue had previously taken a very hard-line attitude on the development, only sanctioning funding to complete it if it was to be used as a soccer-only venue, primarily for Shamrock Rovers.

A New Year statement by the Sports Minister indicates a distinct shift in attitude and leaves it up to South Dublin Council (SDCC) ultimately to decide if any other sports can use it.

However, the Irish Independent understands that the comments only pave the way for the SDCC to allow juvenile GAA into the venue, which would not necessitate any increase to the pitch size.

"While the stadium is scheduled for completion as a soccer facility, the Minister would have no objections to South Dublin County Council, which will manage the facility, sanctioning its use by other sporting bodies compatible with it remaining available for senior soccer fixtures," the statement says.

O'Donoghue's insistence that the venue is soccer-only caused SDCC councillors to change the initial terms of its planning (of December 2005), which was for a multi-sport municipal facility, a decision which local GAA club Thomas Davis are contesting through the courts by seeking a judicial review.

That is due to be heard in the High Court on March 16 and is holding up the completion of the venue.


As it stands, the SDCC's plan is to complete a 6,000-seater stadium for soccer, specifically to house Rovers, who started the ill-fated project before building stalled and it needed local government intervention to bail it out.

The Minister continues to argue that increasing the pitch size to accommodate Gaelic games would considerably lessen its seating capacity.

"A pitch larger than that required for soccer cannot easily be accommodated within the present site," O'Donoghue reiterates. However, some will take O'Donoghue's use of the phrase "cannot easily be accommodated" as not ruling it out completely.

And his subsequent comment about having no objections if SDCC sanction its use for other sports as long as it gives priority to soccer, does seem in sharp contrast to his previous stance.

To accommodate senior GAA, the pitch would have to be lengthened and widened to a 140mx85m dimension.

Even if this remains unlikely, O'Donoghue's latest statement leaves the door open for the GAA, at juvenile level at least, to have some access to the new venue if SDCC are agreeable. The SDCC will not make any comment on the venue at present because they are involved in legal proceedings with Thomas Davis.

The completion of the stadium and its use is undoubtedly a hot potato locally ahead of the upcoming General Election.

A group of local clubs - including Thomas Davis, St Jude's and St Mark's - have all lobbied for it to become a municipal multi-sport facility that could also accommodate GAA.

South Dublin CC and the Minister have both repeatedly said that the Dublin County Board should concentrate instead on developing their own 24-acre site in Rathcoole and the SDCC is currently studying a proposal to solve an access problem to this site.

Cliona Foley

They might as well go ahead and name it 'Millenium Stadium' it's looking like at leat the year 3000 before it's finished.

I don't think there is room for a 140*85m pitch unless only have stand on 1 or 2 sides.

Why would the GAA want to play kids games there as I presume they have their own grounds for this? Do kids games get 6000 crowds in dublin?

something smells rotten

The whole argument is ludicrous! Anyone who's seen the area the ground is in will see it's not suitable for a GAA pitch. It's just far too small. It's crazy that the whole thing has been allowed to go so far in the courts. To only have two stands or vastly reduce capacity for the GAA would be crazy. All the arguments have been discussed here before. Municipal does not mean all sports etc. Whole situation stinks to high heaven. And I'm sayin this as someone who's always been primarily a GAA player and supporter.

I think O'Donoghues comments actually help Rovers. He is basically saying municipal is fine but with exisiting pithc size & stadium design. That means the GAA only grounds for complaint would be to have pitch size changed just for them - bit like being allowed play rugby on a cricket pitch.

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Originally Posted by pete

I think O'Donoghues comments actually help Rovers. He is basically saying municipal is fine but with exisiting pithc size & stadium design. That means the GAA only grounds for complaint would be to have pitch size changed just for them - bit like being allowed play rugby on a cricket pitch.

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That was my reading of it.

He's calling the GAA bluff as everyone knows they have no interest in actually playing in the stadium, only delaying Rovers playing in it as long as possible with the hope that they take their nasty foreign game elsewhere or go to the wall.

In fairness to O'Donoghue he seems to have played it well all along so should probably trust this statement means well. But the GAA are the masters of spin and if they read it as giving them an extra glimmer of hope they'll squeeze the life out of it.

Prizes to Pete and One Red Army for reading this correctly. This is (hopefully) good news for us. JOD hasn't "softened his stance" one iota. He's merely saying that kids GAA could be played there and it is after all a municipal stadium. The pitch wouldn't have to be increased in size for this to happen and which was JOD's problem with the GAA in the first place.

Effectively he's calling Thomas Davis' bluff. They wanted the stadium for "the youth of Tallaght". Now they have it and to carry on with their ludicrous court case would be hypocrisy of the highest order. Not that the GAA are strangers to hypocrisy but over all good news for Rovers.

KOH

Agreed he is probably just giving TD a way out. The other clubs dropped TD like a hot potato when it came to stumping up money in legal fees to try and kill Rovers. They seemed more interested in putting their money in promoting their own juvenile and adult GAA teams. In fact I believe from a source in another south Dublin GAA club that not everybody in TD supports the stance and it is down to 1 or 2 rabid anti football bigots

The key issue here is that the stadium gets built as planned and not held up in court for years. Shamrock Rovers will be the primary tenants but can't and I assume won't object to GAA matches and rugby matches also being held there. Leinster could even hold a couple of Magners League games there although it might be a culture shock for some of their fans.

O'Donoghues past record in politics was terrible but he seems to be playing a blinder on Tallaght issue.

Maybe he has grown into the sports portfolio & realised lots of juicy grants to be handed out to South Kerry.

todays clarification ... full article in indo ...

"There will be no changes to the current pitch dimensions, a larger pitch will not be accommodated within the site," the Minister said. South Dublin County Council (SDCC) stepped in to complete the project started by Shamrock Rovers, and Mr O'Donoghue sanctioned funding for it on the basis of it being a soccer-only stadium. His latest comments that he would have no objection if the SDCC sanctioned other sports to use it "compatible with it remaining available for senior soccer fixtures" had raised hopes of a GAA breakthrough. His statement, which said that a pitch larger than that required for soccer "cannot easily be accommodated" did not appear to rule that out. But the Minister unequivocally did that yesterday and, as the Irish Independent indicated, it seems the only access local GAA clubs or the Dublin County Board might get to Tallaght would be for juvenile matches, which would not necessitate changes to the existing pitch dimensions.

BHS

gaa at tallaght ground ruled out

article

good news for rovers, o'donoghue has not in any way softened his stance on the project:ball:

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Originally Posted by monkey magic

gaa at tallaght ground ruled out

article

good news for rovers, o'donoghue has not in any way softened his stance on the project:ball:

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Can you post the article MM ? Can't be arsed going through the pain of registration. Thanks.

Nothing new.

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GAA at Tallaght ground ruled out

THE pitch size in the completed Tallaght Stadium will not be increased to accommodate Gaelic Games, it was clarified yesterday.

A New Year statement by Sports Minister John O'Donoghue, revealed by the Irish Independent yesterday, seemed to indicate a softening of attitude towards local GAA interests, one of whom (Thomas Davis GFC) is pursuing a court action to try to get access to it.

But Minister O'Donoghue clarified yesterday that there is no question of the pitch in Tallaght being increased, which rules out the possibility of senior GAA matches being played there.

"There will be no changes to the current pitch dimensions, a larger pitch will not be accommodated within the site," the Minister said. South Dublin County Council (SDCC) stepped in to complete the project started by Shamrock Rovers, and Mr O'Donoghue sanctioned funding for it on the basis of it being a soccer-only stadium.

His latest comments that he would have no objection if the SDCC sanctioned other sports to use it "compatible with it remaining available for senior soccer fixtures" had raised hopes of a GAA breakthrough. His statement, which said that a pitch larger than that required for soccer "cannot easily be accommodated" did not appear to rule that out.

But the Minister unequivocally did that yesterday and, as the Irish Independent indicated, it seems the only access local GAA clubs or the Dublin County Board might get to Tallaght would be for juvenile matches, which would not necessitate changes to the existing pitch dimensions.

No work can take place at the venue at present because Thomas Davis are seeking a judicial review in the High Court and their case is listed to be heard on March 16.

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Very unusual for a Fianna Fail minister to go against the GAA, as the GAA is full of Fianna Fail hacks and their ilk, but it looks like O'Donaghue has stood up to the bully boys and told them where to go.
I now hope the judge in the next hearing tells TD to f***off and fire all the costs of the hearings etc.. on top of TD, have a guess who will bail them out if this happens?
Other than that things look good for Rovers, i hope the stadium now will be finished as soon as all theis crap is over.
I still f***ing hate the GAA !!

er where do Thomas Davis play now ? and why is it suddenly no longer good enough.

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Originally Posted by neutrino

er where do Thomas Davis play now ? and why is it suddenly no longer good enough.

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Had a look at their facilities a few weeks ago in Kiltipper, Tallaght. They have an all weather, floodlit pitch and a full pitch beside it. Down the road is their HQ which includes a big clubhouse with a bar. (On the tv in the bar was a premiersh1t match. Oh the hypocrisy.) Their main pitch has no spectator facilities which means they do not get any substantial crowds and they have a handball alley near it.

Meanwhile the stadium is an eyesore.

Their facilities are more than adequate but that's not the issue.

KOH

when the final dust has settled it appears that soccer will be the only people left standing in tallagh,as for TD you can return to obscurity.

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Originally Posted by passerrby

when the final dust has settled it appears that soccer will be the only people left standing in tallagh,as for TD you can return to obscurity.

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In fairness they're an excellently run GAA club with huge membership. I'm not a fan of the sport but they're pretty prominent in Tallaght and surrounds