Shamrock Rovers Tallaght

From rte.ie

Croker to host rugby and football in 2008
Saturday, 17 February 2007 17:40

The Central Council of the GAA have agreed to allow the IRFU and FAI use Croke Park in 2008.

The IRFU will hold three Six Nations games at GAA HQ in early 2008, while the FAI will use the stadium to host two 2010 World Cup qualifiers as the Lansdowne Road redevelopment project continues.

The GAA said: 'It was agreed to accede to the IRFU and FAI's request to hold three Six Nations rugby and two World Cup soccer qualifier games respectively in Croke Park in the Spring and Autumn of 2008.'

However, the GAA said that the use of Croke Park would not extend past 2008 even if the Lansdowne project should experience delays as 'the 2005 Congress decision in relation to use of the Stadium is no longer applicable post 2008.'

Almost 82,000 watched Ireland lose to France in the first rugby game at the famous venue last week, while the football team will hope for a reversal of fortunes when they take on Wales on 24 March.

Today's Central Council meeting in Croke Park also raised the issue of the Shamrock Rovers' ground at Tallaght.

Some delegates expressed disappointment that a 'reciprocal gesture' was not being made to the GAA on the basis of the opening up of Croke Park.

The association confirmed that no other GAA grounds would be made available to the IRFU and FAI but also that no application had been made by the two associations.

The GAA added that an application to host to friendly games in 2008 by both associations was not discussed at the meeting.

The association also dismissed rumours that a wreath would be laid commemorating the victims of Bloody Sunday before Ireland play England in the RBS Six Nations next Sunday.
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Disappointment? I think the GAA should be totally embarrassed that they are trying to ruin Shams chances of moving to Tallaght as soon as possible on the basis of wanting in on the stadium despite having many pitches around there? Do they not get enough already from the Government???? Its great they built Croke Park but they got enough cash in the interim from the Government? Leave Rovers with Tallaght for christ sake.

Funking Barstools

Astonishing bigotry.

Anyone would think they're doing the country a favor. A hefty amount of the build was funded by tax payers money , and now they're receiving rent . Talk about a win win situation !! Fair play to them though they're playing a blinder in the PR side of things.

Small minds in charge of a very big stadium. Seems some people in 'modern Ireland' are determined to stay firmly rooted to the past.

I love the whole pyrrhic victory of the GAA's opposition to rugby and football at an international level. They lost the battle here in the late 1980's - both sports are now firmly established in Ireland at international level. So rather than pretend that they can keep either down, they should just recognise that and milk the IRFU and FAI for every penny by renting Croker to them and pumping the money into their own sports.

I'd a thought after the Ireland v France game last week. There will be up to 20,000 foreign sports fans attracted to Croke park for every football and rugby event held there - from France, England, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Slovakia, Germany, and Cyprus. Rather that cling onto the anti-quated notion that sooccer and rugby at international level are threats to Gaelic games that can and must be contained at every step, why not see the opportunity that hosting these people presents for our national sports ? For example - why don't they strike a deal with the FAI and IRFU that the GAA will be given 1 or 2 pages in every programme produced for thsoe games. Then, in those pages, why doesn't the GAA run a piece in the language of the visiting fans - telling them all about the history of the great venue, introducing them to Gaelic games, and giving them contact details for how they can see and experience Gaelic Games in their own country. Gaelic games have next to zero profile outside of Ireland, yet the sports are organised on at least a basic level in almost every western country. They are also available to watch through Irish bars in almost every western country as well. So there is a real opportunity for the GAA here to educate the world about itself and expand its appeal. And given that programmes contain almost nothing in the language of the opposition country, anything written in awat fan's native tongues would get read by any of them buying one. See the opportunity here - not the fear.

Finally - will anyone be surprised if Lansdowne isn't ready for use by 2008 ? I predict a return to GAA Congress and an absolute shambles of a situation, as the Árd Comhairle attempt to force an unwilling Congress to extend their generosity by another year. Another big day out for the very small minds....

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

why not see the opportunity that hosting these people presents for our national sports ? For example - why don't they strike a deal with the FAI and IRFU that the GAA will be given 1 or 2 pages in every programme produced for thsoe games. Then, in those pages, why doesn't the GAA run a piece in the language of the visiting fans - telling them all about the history of the great venue, introducing them to Gaelic games, and giving them contact details for how they can see and experience Gaelic Games in their own country. Gaelic games have next to zero profile outside of Ireland, yet the sports are organised on at least a basic level in almost every western country. They are also available to watch through Irish bars in almost every western country as well. So there is a real opportunity for the GAA here to educate the world about itself and expand its appeal. And given that programmes contain almost nothing in the language of the opposition country, anything written in awat fan's native tongues would get read by any of them buying one. See the opportunity here - not the fear.

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One of the commentators from the French game last week noted that the Gaa produced a magazine in English, Irish, and French to reporters at the game telling them about what the Gaa is exactly!

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Originally Posted by Raheny Red

One of the commentators from the French game last week noted that the Gaa produced a magazine in English, Irish, and French to reporters at the game telling them about what the Gaa is exactly!

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Whats the word for bigot in French?

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Originally Posted by Gareth

Today's Central Council meeting in Croke Park also raised the issue of the Shamrock Rovers' ground at Tallaght.

Some delegates expressed disappointment that a 'reciprocal gesture' was not being made to the GAA on the basis of the opening up of Croke Park.

The association confirmed that no other GAA grounds would be made available to the IRFU and FAI but also that no application had been made by the two associations.

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What opening up? Rule 42 still stands.

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Originally Posted by Raheny Red

One of the commentators from the French game last week noted that the Gaa produced a magazine in English, Irish, and French to reporters at the game telling them about what the Gaa is exactly!

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Fair play to them on this, and good to see one produced as Gaeilge as well.

Hopefully that wasn't just a one-off due to the nature of the event, and that they'll do it for all the games there. Would be good to do likewise for the fans as well.

I see no reason why the GAA cant play their games in Tallaght, well if they give €1.5 million per game to rovers that is. What are they looking for 40 games per anam? €1.5* 40 = happy days for Rovers :D

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Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

Steve i have picked this up right, that you think 20,000 will come from each of those countries to watch a game in Croke Park ?:confused:

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Up to 20,000 RT. The bigger away crowds will be in the rugby. There should be over 10,000 English there on Saturday week, for example (I'm not sure what ticket allocation the IRFU gives). There's practically no hotel speaces left in Dublin - much worse than when the games were in Lansdowne.

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Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

Also i dont think there is any chance that the new ground will be ready by then i think the FAI today were granted permission that they could play games there in 2008 (2 world cup qualifiers for the FAI) so they must not tink so either.

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The GAA Rule dispensation runs out after the 2008 games. That effectively means it runs out in Summer 2008 - as the Euro qualifiers in the football will be finished in Spring, and the Six Nations rugby likewise. So in the likely event that Lansdowne won't be ready for any games after then, where will the rugby and football teams play ?

I'd rather Ireland played home games in Kabul than in Croker. We'd certainly be more welcome.

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Originally Posted by Gareth

Some delegates expressed disappointment that a 'reciprocal gesture' was not being made to the GAA on the basis of the opening up of Croke Park.

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I think it's only fair that Shamrock Rovers should concede the use of Tallaght to the GAA for up to four international matches every year when Croke Park is being redeveloped.

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Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

Cyprus wont even bring 100 to the game and there wont be anything near 20,000 away fans at any match including the rugby games.

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He mentioned rugby. England games have often brought that many away fans to Lansdowne even with its smaller capacity. Wales will probably bring 10k to the football match.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

The GAA Rule dispensation runs out after the 2008 games. That effectively means it runs out in Summer 2008 - as the Euro qualifiers in the football will be finished in Spring, and the Six Nations rugby likewise. So in the likely event that Lansdowne won't be ready for any games after then, where will the rugby and football teams play ?

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The Euro qualifiers will be finished in November this year. The 2010 World Cup qualifiers will start in autumn 2008 and you have to assume from the press release that the FAI intend playing 2 home qualifers in October or November 2008.

If that is the case, then there will be no home games for a period of 12 months, between October 2007 and October 2008, unless any application to play friendlies in agreed by GAA. Even if there was agreement to play a couple of friendlies, they would have to be against top class opponents to attract a decent sized crowd.

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Originally Posted by Stato

I think it's only fair that Shamrock Rovers should concede the use of Tallaght to the GAA for up to four international matches every year when Croke Park is being redeveloped.

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Would the playing area at Tallaght be big enough to play GAA games or has it been sized just for football?

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Originally Posted by Superhoops

Would the playing area at Tallaght be big enough to play GAA games or has it been sized just for football?

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In return for being allowed to play a few VERY expensive games in Croke Park, the FAI are expected to facilitate the destruction of the present Tallaght Stadium structure in order to shove an enormous pitch into a restricted space - thus creating an open-plan, lop-sided joke of a stadium with greatly reduced capacity, which would look absolutely ridiculous when used for soccer games.

And all of this, although the GAA simply DO NOT NEED the stadium. They are awash with enormous stadiums already - most of which will be filled once a year at most - and they are still planning even more.

The GAA philosophy is quite simple. The more grant money and the more stadiums they can grab - the less there will be available for those nasty "foreign" games. They aren't content to simply look after their own games - they are on a crusade to restrict and hinder "foreign" games as much as possible.

What a vile organisation.

The GAA nay sayers attitude was summed up to me in recent RTE tv programme before the Ireland v France rugby game. GAA guy in Bishopstown in Cork was anti opening Croke Park - he explained this by showing that the local rugby club surrounded them with their pitches that it would encourage them to ask to use their GAA pitches. Why or why would a local rugby team want to use a GAA pitch when they haver their own pitches???

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by pete

The GAA nay sayers attitude was summed up to me in recent RTE tv programme before the Ireland v France rugby game. GAA guy in Bishopstown in Cork was anti opening Croke Park - he explained this by showing that the local rugby club surrounded them with their pitches that it would encourage them to ask to use their GAA pitches. Why or why would a local rugby team want to use a GAA pitch when they haver their own pitches???

:rolleyes:

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typical gaa bull**** :mad: longford gaa regularily used the longford rugby grounds for training purposes over the past ten years when there were no other playable pitches in the county, or when pearse park and other club grounds used by the county teams were being redeveloped... yet gestures like these go completely unnoticed when the shoe is on the other foot.

GAA clubs have used Oriel Park for training on. I think Windsor Park was even used by a women's GAA team for training in the not too distant past.