Hawk-Eye stays grounded in Croker for now

September 10, 2014

Liam O'Neill with Tom, the Harris hawk, at the launch of Specsavers sponsorship of Hawkeye in Croke Park ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

GAA President Liam O'Neill has revealed that there are currently no plans to roll out Hawk-Eye to the main provincial grounds.

The score detection technology proved its worth in last Sunday's All-Ireland SHC final but, speaking to the Examiner, O'Neill said: "We want to bring it to other grounds but it is not as simple as doing that.

"You need a number of fixed cameras. You can't just put a Hawk-Eye camera on a pole because if there is even a fraction of a waver, then it doesn't work.

"That's why it is fixed rigidly to the stands here at Croke Park. I think there's only a couple of venues around the country where it could be done at the moment.

"It's very sensitive technology. To get it working on the Hill 16 End, they actually had to put a darkened screen on, because the light was interfering with it so they had to tweak it to do that.

"That probably would exist even more so in other places. We asked more of Hawk-Eye than any other game. Cricket is a crease of 22 yards, isn't it? And a tennis court is around the same, and it is perfect for that.

"But to do it over 145m by 90m, and with the height difference the hurling ball goes, we asked questions of it and it took a long time to get it right. And if you remember, we said we wouldn't do it unless it was right."

Finance is not an issue according to the President.

"We have never shirked from spending money on something that is worthwhile.

"We went ahead with it and were criticised for the amount of investment. It was a significant figure but in the context of what it used to cost to maintain the pitch for the winter - we have a different pitch now - Hawk-Eye wasn't a significant figure. We have never been afraid to spend money to do what is right or best."


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