Irish rock giants U2 have offered to pay for a new playing surface at Croke Park after their three concerts at the venue later this month. Bono and the boys have asked for a special surface to be laid down for their concerts on July 24, 25 and 27, and they are prepared to meet the costs. The GAA have already agreed to their request and work on getting a new pitch laid in time for the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals will commence immediately after the final concert. The cost of the revamp is expected to be in excess of EUR1 million. The new pitch will need to be laid in double-quick time as the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals take place across the August Bank Holiday weekend. There has been speculation that not all of the games will take place at GAA headquarters, but if Dublin beat Kildare in Sunday's Leinster final, they are certain to be accommodated. The GAA could run into difficulty with local residents, however, who claim that the 14-hour working days required over three weeks, which would include the movement of heavy machinery, would greatly impact on their quality of life. Tweet

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