Quotewell done gerry, only 3 weeks after the story broke.
Tallaght closed to bogball
Govt wants to keep stadium for use of soccer only
Tallaght closed to GAA
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...issue_id=13646
Govt wants to keep stadium for use of soccer only
Gerry
McDermott
SOUTH Dublin County Council will have to go it alone if they decide to open the new Municipal Soccer Stadium in Tallaght to the GAA.
The Dublin County Board have been pushing strongly to gain entry into the stadium, which has been earmarked for almost 10 years as the new home for Shamrock Rovers.
But if South Dublin County Council yield to their demands, they will have to foot the massive multi-million euro bill for not only finishing the stadium but extending it to accommodate the playing of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie.
In December, the Council voted to proceed with the development of the Municipal Stadium, having taken back the 250-year leases it had originally awarded after work ground to a halt.
The Council is due to receive an update on developments in relation to the Municipal Stadium at its monthly meeting next Monday, but it has been left in no doubt that Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue firmly believes it should remain exclusively for soccer, especially as it could become home to both Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic when completed.
Minister O'Donoghue has already indicated his willingness to assist the Council in putting together a financial package to finish the stadium as originally intended and, in an answer to a question in the Dail from Dublin South West Fianna Fail TD Charlie O'Connor, explained what would happen if the plans are changed.
"Such support was based on the plan to provide a soccer stadium for Tallaght which would serve as a viable long-term home for Shamrock Rovers Football Club. Indeed, given the significant funding likely to be required to complete the stadium, serious consideration must be given to the stadium actually accommodating two soccer clubs on a ground-sharing basis, a concept recommended for Dublin clubs in the recent Genesis Report on the Eircom League.
"South Dublin County Council has recently written to my Department seeking clarification on whether funding will be available on the basis of the Council's recent decision to complete the stadium but subject to certain modifications to the pitch, stand and dressing rooms to facilitate other sports," said Minister O'Donoghue.
Facility
"It is my view that the facility needs of other sports have been provided for and will continue to be so under the sports capital programme which has seen over €9.5 million allocated to clubs in the Tallaght area alone.
"However, there is a clear need for a modern modest-sized soccer stadium in Dublin which this development in Tallaght would suitably meet when completed.
"Recent efforts to change the scope of the agreed approach to the proposed project is likely to impact on the future capacity and the total cost of the stadium.
"Accordingly, I have advised South Dublin County Council that funding will not be available on the basis of Council's current proposals for the completion of the stadium," the Minister said.
The half-finished stadium has been built for soccer and has received €2.4m in grants under the Sports Capital Fund and will probably require another €4m to finish it off and turn it into a 6,000 seater venue.
But if South Dublin County Council was to agree to the GAA's request to make provision for them in the new stadium the completion costs would rocket while the capacity would be reduced to 4,000 because the pitch would have to be lengthened considerably to facilitate the playing of Gaelic games.
Received
The GAA have already received €130m in Sports Capital grants since 1998 and over €1.7m of this has gone into Tallaght where clubs like Thomas Davis, St Anne's and St Mark's have benefitted.
In addition, Dublin County Board have acquired 26 acres in nearby Rathcoole with a commitment from South Dublin County Council to provide access roads to these lands and it is felt that the major Southside ground which the GAA are seeking will be built here, negating the need for Gaelic games to be accommodated in Tallaght's Municipal Stadium. The FAI, who have already ploughed €600,000 in grants into the Tallaght project, are understood to be as concerned as the Department of Sport about any proposal to introduce other sports into the stadium.
They are also now committed to the concept of ground-sharing among Eircom League clubs in the Dublin area in order to promote efficient use of infrastructure and hope to persuade St Patrick's Athletic to move in with Shamrock Rovers when the new stadium is finally completed.
The FAI also plan to use the Tallaght stadium for under-age internationals, leaving a major doubt as to whether there would actually be any free dates to accommodate Gaelic games.
But, with the GAA sitting on 26 acres in Rathcoole, it would appear that their case for inclusion in the Tallaght Stadium is extremely weak and likely to fall on deaf ears when South Dublin County Council realises the full financial implications of going it alone.
well done gerry, only 3 weeks after the story broke.
Gerry has an attitude problem. I would like to start a thread having a go about him.
Quote from John O'Donoghue
"Indeed, given the significant funding likely to be required to complete the stadium, serious consideration must be given to the stadium actually accommodating two soccer clubs on a ground-sharing basis, a concept recommended for Dublin clubs in the recent Genesis Report on the Eircom League"
Looks like the Minister fior Sport is all for the plan for Rovers and PAts to share Tallaght.
I can see Pats coming under a lot of pressure to move, possibly lottery grants not being made available for Richmond Park etc
I'm what? I'm ants at a picnic?
I wouldnt get to excited about it the next move is
the GAA bringing a legal objection to the whole process
and the building being delayed again by months if not years
Meanwhile Richer sits around as a fully operational city football stadium in need of upgrading. Do I have this right - current planning permission for Tallaght calls for a MAXIMUM capacity of 6,000 people (i.e. equivalent to existing capacity at Richmond Park) so rumours of an eventual 10-15,000 seater stadium are completely unfeasible?Originally Posted by hoops1
And the plan is to open Tallaght when the single stand is completed giving an initial capacity of what, around 2,500 - 3,000 seats
SIGNATURESCOPE
are you sure?
on what grounds?
Sort of right - the current planning permission is now irrelevant since the council took back the lease but it's still pretty much the same, if that makes any sense.Do I have this right - current planning permission for Tallaght calls for a MAXIMUM capacity of 6,000 people (i.e. equivalent to existing capacity at Richmond Park) so rumours of an eventual 10-15,000 seater stadium are completely unfeasible?
And the plan is to open Tallaght when the single stand is completed giving an initial capacity of what, around 2,500 - 3,000 seats
In other words, the council can pretty much do what they like and build what they like - they are not constrained by the previous planning permission but the current plans are indeed for us to move into a one-sided 3000 capacity ground.
Don't worry, by the time you lot move the other side will be built.
KOH
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
To be honest I dont know but you can be sure they have a
very expensively assembled legal team looking into every little
decision over the last 10 years
A Parnell Park type ground on the south side has been a Dublin County Board
priority for the last number of years and they are not going to let it go lightly
especially when there potiential rivals in teh area are so weak at the moment!
And if everything gets delayed by a couple of years suits them down to
the ground!
i thought the capacity of Tallaght was 10,000 when fully completed. Thats what has been given to date. Thats only one tier as well.
Hoops: that's just worst case scenario. A legal objection is possible but it mightn't do the GAA any favours in the long run. They are in no position to go head-to-head with the government given the government's constant willingness to fund their stadia all over the country, not to mention South Dublin.
I'd imagine a trade-off will not be hard to find.
I hope so!All this is draining on everybody
See other posts - the GAA have plenty of other options if their real desire is to have a stadium on the southside. They could look for grants on their own land in Rathcoole or talk to their own clubs in the area re developing one of their grounds. However killing Rovers is clearly far more important than developing their own games.
Exactly, all we can do is be flattered.
There's a reasonably good chance all this mess will be sorted out by the end of the month.
Good point.
Even if the Dublin County Board might be for a legal challenge to slow down the completion of Tallaght I'd say the GAA figures at national level would "advise" them to let it be.
When it becomes widely known that the GAA have a big land bank in South Dublin anyway the motives for any court challenge would be clear and not reflect well on the GAA. They would also be on the wrong side of the Dept of Sport re future grants etc.
I'm what? I'm ants at a picnic?
In comparison wiht previous controllers of the club the press attention on Rovers in the last year has been very good. Some every clever people involved in Rovers PR as press releases always impress now.
Well given their PRO is a trained journalist now that is hardly surprising
Nah, he's just good. The trained hacks just copy the likes of his work.Well given their PRO is a trained journalist now that is hardly surprising
eircom League clubs are (very gradually) beginning to appreciate that most press releases will be reproduced verbatim by media outlets which are simply (as a result of their ignorance) incapable of differentiating between what is and isn't newsworthy in eL terms (for example, an urgent bulletin on Athlone's acquisition of a back-up under-21 goalkeeper will be afforded as much prominence as news of Shels' transfer dealings.) They're certainly not in a position to verify the veracity or otherwise of the stories they carry, and it's a blank PR cheque which more eL clubs should be willing to cash.
A leading authority on League of Ireland football since 2003. You're probably wrong.
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