Stadium Updates (All Clubs)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Originally Posted by 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?

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)

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

Originally Posted by 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?

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.

Originally Posted by Martinho II

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

Originally Posted by refjohn

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!

That hill wasnt half as steep back in the 90s

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

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

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

Originally Posted by Mr A

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.

Originally Posted by brendy_�ire

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.

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

Originally Posted by Mr A

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

"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

Originally Posted by 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

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.