I see the future of Pearse stadium in Galway as being part of the proposed Gaelic Quarter. This area is based loosely around Salthill/bothar na Trá.
Regarding training possibly with the new motorway- Tuam could be upgraded to a training ground aswell as a stadium.
The new motorway will make Tuam a lot closer. Either way Galway GAA cannot depend on Croke park and the Kerry County board to clear the debt. How about a few concerts in Pearse?

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2522 - 19/04/2016 11:36:50    1847134

what is the centre of excellence in Mayo used for?
Are the Mayo teams using it?
Belclare1 (Galway)

Mayo county teams do not use the Connacht centre of excellence. They train on pitches beside MacHale Park and are known to use the Breaffy complex as far I am aware. Mayo has no official training centre like the one at LoughGeorge for example.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11240 - 19/04/2016 11:40:19    1847136

You are well used to a bit of whining yourself..

The difference there is, Im not complaining about not having something that actually is there...


Prenty park is another shambles that no thought went into.. I was there recently for a big colleges game and the weather was terrible. The problem was that there is absolutely no shelter for anyone, the crowd, the sideline, the media ( as in a few reporters from the local papers in Galway and Mayo) and everyone was saturated .. its probably fine as a training facility but not to host any type of game..

Maybe it wasn't meant to hosting games of this type? If it has since been deemed a requirement, then surely putting in a small stand wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility? Or would that make too much sense for you? This 'prenty park' stuff is unfair to be honest. It is a central location which was the most important thing, and it had to go somewhere. Some people just want to complain for the sake of it. Can you suggest a better location?


Master what is the centre of excellence in Mayo used for?
Are the Mayo teams using it?
Belclare

Well what is any centre of excellence used for? Surely that question isn't specific to this one. I believe some mayo teams have utilised it on occasion, but it wouldn't be a regular thing. They have to go through the proper channels, same as any other team who want to use it.

You seem to think it suits mayo, but it is actually half an hour closer to galway city than it is to say belmullet for example.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 19/04/2016 11:44:10    1847139

Prenty Park is good.

The fact is each county could have had their own centre of excellence but Connacht council bulldozed it through (and I include Mayo in not wanting it there.

Why it is there can be written but I know members of Sligo co bd did not get to vote on it but then had to have conn council tell them to get their house in order when they went and sorted out their own one (with a few side stories on that too).

That is already an issue for games in Scarden( Sligo COE) , no one wants games there as there is no facilities for supporters, media, same as Bekan.

No joined up thinking just vanity projects

overinthewest (Sligo) - Posts: 119 - 19/04/2016 12:45:41    1847180

Gotmilk.Tuam Stadium has been in bad repair for as long as I can remember. Pearse Stadium is a fine stadium. But for me the atmosphere in Tuam on matchday is miles better than Salthill because of where the ground is located and because Tuam is a gaelic football town. Home of St. Jarlath's college the legendary football academy. I'd argue that Tuam Stadium was to Connacht Football what Semple Stadium was/is to Munster Hurling. Pearse Stadium is pitch in a housing estate near the sea and some amusement arcades, less atmosphere than the moon.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7370 - 19/04/2016 12:47:04    1847181

Master, I asked you a simple question as you may be in the know..

What is the centre of Excellence in Mayo used for??

Belclare1 (Galway) - Posts: 1626 - 19/04/2016 12:50:21    1847184

Pearse stadium is beside Salthill Knocknacarragh GAA club. They share the site. Also there is a proposed Gaelic quarter it should be based in Bothar na Trá/Salthill imo. With the stadium as it's centrepiece.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2522 - 19/04/2016 13:03:32    1847189

http://coaching.connacht.gaa.ie/home/club-location

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7370 - 19/04/2016 13:37:45    1847209

Master, I asked you a simple question as you may be in the know..
What is the centre of Excellence in Mayo used for??
Belclare1

And I answered it.
Your issue seems to be with Centres of Excellence in general. That has little to do with my point.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 19/04/2016 14:39:05    1847224

Master, I asked you a simple question as you may be in the know..
What is the centre of Excellence in Mayo used for??
Belclare1

Belclare, both myself and GreenandRed have posted links that clearly line out what the centre of excellence is used for. Maybe have a read of that instead of continually quizing posters about it?

Here it is (again) http://coaching.connacht.gaa.ie/home/club-location

Start at 'This facility is for . . .' and read on.

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 19/04/2016 14:55:33    1847231

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts:880 - 19/04/2016 14:55:33

Ah look just because a few of ye copy and paste my original question doesnt mean it is me asking the qustion over and over!!!

Anyways ive read that link before, i even was at the official opening, but honestly for something so massive and well laid out i was asking the question to see if anyone could give me a definite answer.
You see, colleges game, some national school games and the odd Ted Webb game means in my opnion it is not been utilised as much as the GAA expected. Club games? Ok i have yet to hear of Galway clubs playing down there regularly, maybe the Sligo and Roscommon lads are..
Everthing always looks good in writing.. The bottom line is Prenty park is another costly mistake by the GAA.

Belclare1 (Galway) - Posts: 1626 - 19/04/2016 15:17:45    1847239

Belclare - I agree with you.

And as far as I am aware no clubs from Sligo using it. We used it once for a mid week session last summer that cost us150 euro (and they were very annoyed we looked for a dressing room too) ... In the past (and now in the future) we will talk to a club in Longford for the lads at home and Dub.

In fairness the centre in Sligo has been used when both clubs pitches are unplayable as a third option but all it is used for is schools imo and interfirms!

overinthewest (Sligo) - Posts: 119 - 19/04/2016 16:15:10    1847270

I have been to Prenty Park at least 20 times. I once saw two games going on at the same time, but every other time saw just either one game on or one team there on their own using the gym. Why are there 6 pitches there and enough meeting room to host the UN? The cost of renting it means that no club team can use it (notwithstanding the fact that it an hour an a half to two hours away from any hurling area in Galway). It is being used for the odd Schools game and interfirms matches. Anyone that argues that it is anything other than a complete waste of money hasn't visited it.

That being said, Galway's centers of excellence are worse. I will never understand why in the football center in Loughgeorge in the last 6 months they have built a full size astroturf soccer pitch (I'm not joking). This is when games are being cancelled throughout Galway because there are no pitches playable and there is not a single astroturf GAA pitch in the entire county.
The only centre of excellence that is being put to good use is the hurling one in Mountainsouth (although bankrupting Galway GAA to have a farm of land to raise a Dairy herd may not be the best use of money)

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 19/04/2016 16:39:10    1847290

So what you are saying belclare is that there shouldn't be any centres of excellence as they are all costly mistakes? Your argument seems to be going around in circles.
Also, have you an issue with the Connacht gaa secretary, that you keep referring to the place as prenty park? The guy seems to be a victim of circumstance - the place was built close to his home club. The thing is that is a very central area in the province. So what is your complaint exactly? Why has this annoyed you?

Also, I asked you if you had a suggestion of a better area to place the centre of excellence. You demand answers to your own questions, yet wont answer ones directed to you.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 19/04/2016 16:44:43    1847295

I have been to Prenty Park at least 20 times. I once saw two games going on at the same time, but every other time saw just either one game on or one team there on their own using the gym. Why are there 6 pitches there and enough meeting room to host the UN? The cost of renting it means that no club team can use it (notwithstanding the fact that it an hour an a half to two hours away from any hurling area in Galway). It is being used for the odd Schools game and interfirms matches. Anyone that argues that it is anything other than a complete waste of money hasn't visited it.
onlyhurling (Galway)

2 hours? From where? Id say it is in and around 90 minutes from the furthest reaches of connacht.
It is 90 minutes away from some places in mayo also. Newsflash, Connacht is a big area. I don't see how you could bring it closer to you, without bringing it further away from somewhere else. How is that a genuine criticism? It is just being selfish.

As for the guy from Sligo, it's only an hour from Sligo town, I don't see what point he is trying to argue at all.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 19/04/2016 16:55:08    1847301

These centre of excellences need to be finacially viable. Limerick have UL and the full sized allweather pitches and awesome gym facilities but they also have Rathkeale which is going to be used for lots of club games aswell..limerick have lots of issues but facilities isnt one of them.
Cork which has a population the same as Connacht has vaste swathes of poor facilities. North Cork has Mallow which again is excellent but west and east Cork hasnt one full sized all weather pitch. I dont know about the city.
All this talk of Tuam has piqued my interest. I gotta visit it sometime for a game...sounds abit like cusack park in ennis

bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1710 - 19/04/2016 17:43:02    1847339

The truth of the matter is it is a disgrace how better facilities have not been provided to Galway. A dual county which should be given priority. The dublins, kerrys and tyrones of this world wouldnt have to travel to a neighbouring county to have a pitch session. Its an absolute disgrace. If the GAA want sam to cross the shannon again they'd want to start investing more into Galway gaa. Tuam deserves a total renovation being the spiritual home of Galway football. This a traditional county with 9 All Irelands. Its time Galway is treated with the respect it deserves. You cant just keep pumping money into dublin. Galway deserves its fair share

Lyreenside (Carlow) - Posts: 21 - 19/04/2016 18:03:58    1847348

Are ye being humourous calling the centre of excellence Prenty Park or are ye casting doubt on John Prenty's good name?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7370 - 19/04/2016 18:38:13    1847359

Good Idea, let's throw a few million to the Galway CB, and we can get another MountainSouth.

Although mind you, redeveloping Tuam is an idea. That place has character. There's a fair bit of undeveloped land around it too, it could probably be expanded.

Jaden (Dublin) - Posts: 139 - 19/04/2016 18:47:58    1847364

TheMaster.

Talk about missing my point, but since you ask: To travel from Galway City to Prenty Park takes 1 hour and 10 minutes if you go at 8am on a saturday morning. On any weekday evening it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes as you have to negotiate traffic in both Claregalway and Tuam (the new Motorway will help this when open). All of Galway hurling areas are at least 15 to 30 minutes south or east of Galway City.

My main point is that Prenty Park is, and always was going to be a white Elephant. There simple is not the population base to support it. The only place it would have worked is building it near Galway, due to population, but I would not have ever supported this because it wouldn't be a Connacht center and would be wrong for all other counties.

What should have been done is obvious, build a proper 4G pitch in every county and the invest heavily in professional full times coaches that could travel throughout Connacht. On another thread there is a discussion on Dublin's facilities. You only need so much infrastructure facilities, they shouldn't become a monument. Dublin's greatest resource is it's people, both volunteers and full time coaches. That is where the investment should have, and still should go in Connacht.

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 20/04/2016 09:22:57    1847444