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Replying To Rolo2010: "A 55k stadium in Athenry? That would just be a white elephant. The only stadium which needs to be upgraded is Portlaoise which can then be used for Leinster finals instead of a half empty Croker. Connacht doesn't need a 55k stadium." You could be right - we'd want to ensure it didn't become a white elephant and perhaps 40k would be plenty big enough. But it would be a bit more central and easier to access than the other stadiums in Connaught - it would also be an ideal venue for Munster V Ulster clashes; as well as Connaught teams against most other counties. Some joined up thinking with Connaught Rugby could see the stadium in Ireland used all year. An upgraded O'Moore park would certainly do much of the same - it could hold the Leinster semi finals as it is.
Thinking about things - it would probably makes sense for the GAA to designate about 6-8 grounds as championship stadiums for the knock out rounds. Plan for that and invest accordingly.
brianb (Kildare) - Posts: 279 - 09/06/2022 10:56:54
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would there be room to put a stand maybe two teir where the terrace is in portlaoise? then a small stand at either end? make it all seater to hold 40,000 . make it top of the range so concerts could be held there too. otherwise i would look to westmeath GAA and broker a deal to sell off cusack park and build another 40,000 stadium on edge of town with big car parks all around it, like you see in USA. 35-40,000 WOULD BE PERFECT
dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 687 - 09/06/2022 15:06:47
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We aren't going to see any new stadiums barring Belfast and that's not a certainty to come on stream any time soon. Cork was the nail in the coffin for new stadiums for a long while. Its mad to think that leinster has no 35,000 capacity stadium. Its got Croker and then next up are 20,000 capacity . Maybe an upgrade for Tullamore or Portlaoise but they won't be moved and rail terminals sre essential. Portlaoise has very good rail connections with Dublin and Limerick and Cork and in-between.
If someone bit the bullet in Galway and sold Pearse stadium while not being seen to abandon Galway City it would be a great day. Do up athenry and Tuam.
The building of Cork meant that the push for every munster final in Thurles was stopped forever. I'm fine with that. Traditionally Limerick and Cork were integral to Munster finals . I think the gaelic grounds held 5 in a row in the 60s maybe 6. Limerick will get an upgrade soon enough. The covered stand is terrible and needs doing. I wouldnt roof the opposite stand. No need. College football in America dont roof their stadiums willy nilly. Waste if money for 3 or 4 big games a year.
The likes of Cusack Park in Ennis are still dangerous ..I can see Ennis being down graded. Portlaloos for females at big games. A disgrace.
bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1710 - 09/06/2022 15:31:51
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Replying To letsgetgoing: "I think that your are missing the main point of the debate which is to reduce the distance that GAA supporters have to travel in order to support their teams. McHale Park in Castlebar is only about 10-15 miles from Westport which is on the west coast. Even for Roscommon supporters who live on the east / south side of Roscommon, a trip to Castlebar is a long distance. There is a need for the development of a large stadium in a more central location in Connacht that can handle 30,000 - 50,000 supporters for important matches and indeed concerts if that is where the money is.
Leinster has Portlaoise / Tullamore / Kilkenny (All central)
Munster has Thurles (Central)
Ulster has Clones and Cavan (Central)
Hyde Park in Roscommon would be the obvious choice for a major development in my opinion as I have stated on another forum. The main pitches in Salthill, Castlebar and Sligo are all near the coast. The M6 goes to Athlone and it is planned to extend the M4 to Longford. Roscommon also has a railway line which might suit retired Gaa supporters who want to avail of free travel. The pitch is within walking distance of the centre of town and near the railway station and there is very good parking facilities. In fact it would be an ideal location for the Mayo v Kildare match this weekend, where all the supporters could mingle and have the craic and still get home at a reasonable time.
Expecting Mayo fans to travel all the way to Croke for a 6.00 kick - off on a Saturday night where tourists and Ireland / Scotland soccer fans have pre booked all the hotels is madness. It is a long way back to Belmullet after the match and the pubs will be well closed if you want to have a pint to celebrate a win. Expecting Galway fans to attend a Leinster hurling final with a 7.00pm kickoff shows what the GAA thinks of its travelling supporters. Both of these matches were scheduled to satisfy Sky Sports. The genuine GAA supporters obviously did not come into consideration at all.
The GAA also tell us that they care about the environment. Time to put it into practice, by reducing the distance that supporters have to travel to matches." Your a true rossie kickoffs in hurling is about as much as we know about it.
Your 100%on the timing of the matches though it's a disgrace dragging us up there on a Saturday evening.
OhtobeARossie (Roscommon) - Posts: 1764 - 09/06/2022 16:35:09
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Replying To brianb: "You could be right - we'd want to ensure it didn't become a white elephant and perhaps 40k would be plenty big enough. But it would be a bit more central and easier to access than the other stadiums in Connaught - it would also be an ideal venue for Munster V Ulster clashes; as well as Connaught teams against most other counties. Some joined up thinking with Connaught Rugby could see the stadium in Ireland used all year. An upgraded O'Moore park would certainly do much of the same - it could hold the Leinster semi finals as it is.
Thinking about things - it would probably makes sense for the GAA to designate about 6-8 grounds as championship stadiums for the knock out rounds. Plan for that and invest accordingly." I would have said Newbridge is actually the best location for a regional stadium. It's on all the train lines and at the junction of the M7/M9.
Rolo2010 (Donegal) - Posts: 738 - 09/06/2022 17:24:43
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Replying To dickie10: "would there be room to put a stand maybe two teir where the terrace is in portlaoise? then a small stand at either end? make it all seater to hold 40,000 . make it top of the range so concerts could be held there too. otherwise i would look to westmeath GAA and broker a deal to sell off cusack park and build another 40,000 stadium on edge of town with big car parks all around it, like you see in USA. 35-40,000 WOULD BE PERFECT" Are you joking those stadiums in America are absolutely awful. I have been to see the Patriots play and also Dolphins and those stadiums are in the middle of nowhere and are an awful fan experience. No pubs, etc near by and certainly nowhere near enough.
We need stadiums in our towns and rail and bus services to service them. The whole town then benefits from a big game. One of the older folk in the club in Wexford told me there was talk of redeveloping Wexford Park in the middle of nowhere and it was vetoed because it would not bring business to the town if everybody just drove in and out.
There's an apartment block behind the open side in Portlaoise so not much scope there, I think though there's a pitch beside the current stand so maybe something could be done with it. There is also a huge tract of land across the road if I remember my last trip there right.
Definitely the case though that Leinster needs a 40-45k stadium and Portlaoise ideal given the number of counties close by.
ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1128 - 09/06/2022 21:03:23
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Replying To brianb: "You could be right - we'd want to ensure it didn't become a white elephant and perhaps 40k would be plenty big enough. But it would be a bit more central and easier to access than the other stadiums in Connaught - it would also be an ideal venue for Munster V Ulster clashes; as well as Connaught teams against most other counties. Some joined up thinking with Connaught Rugby could see the stadium in Ireland used all year. An upgraded O'Moore park would certainly do much of the same - it could hold the Leinster semi finals as it is.
Thinking about things - it would probably makes sense for the GAA to designate about 6-8 grounds as championship stadiums for the knock out rounds. Plan for that and invest accordingly." There's no need for a stadium in Athenry. There's Pearse Stadium, Jarlath's Park in Tuam and Duggan Park in Ballinasloe which will hold a small crowd. Hopefully someday they'll restore Tuam to it's former glory. Match day in Tuam was fantastic, right in the town. For me the spiritual home of Connacht football. There's too many County grounds which will, arguably only have 7 or 8 games a year and then lie idle for it's primary purpose. They definitely should, like you say, designate some grounds as championship grounds. But plan to have them ready when needed, know the capacity when safety standards are met, capacity when season ticket holders are seated etc. Should be possible to do a draw at 8:40 on Monday morning and announce dates and venues by 9 if they had a proper plan. Try finding the optimum stadium that suits supporters for teams involved, keep travelling distance down a bit, though very few counties will have all their supporters travelling for more than 3 hours to a venue. In that case schedule an earlier throw-in. Should help to improve attendances. If TV companies don't like that find alternative ways to broadcast games. They can't please every supporter at the same time. I know that's somewhere between extremely naive and impossible!
GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7345 - 10/06/2022 09:29:24
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Tuam was a terrible spot for traffic back in the day - salt hill is 10 times worse. Tuam would be much better now.
The problem with most GAA stadiums is that public transport doesn't bring you there.
As a minimum condition for a neutral venue it should have a rail link -
So to pick a venue - take out an Iarnrod Eireann rail map and start from there.
Even Croker is a pain in the arse for most of the country. Why Iran-rod Eireann can't put a train line from Newbridge to Clonsilla and Dunboyne to Drogheda is beyond me.
This craic of having to run from Croke Park to Hurston to get the train home after a match is a balls
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 11/06/2022 08:03:57
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Shocking attendance in Croker today
Hope the GAA lost money on it
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 11/06/2022 20:44:17
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Nobody on the Hill, Nobody in the Canal Stand, Nobody on middle and Upper Hogan Stand, Nobody on middle and Upper Cusack Stand. I'm guessing maybe 14,000 in Croke Park for Double-Header today? OK Fuel prices are high but public transport...trains, buses are half price?
katser (Galway) - Posts: 2194 - 11/06/2022 20:57:39
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Shocking attendance in Croker today
Hope the GAA lost money on it" No they haven't, Sky dictated where games were played and pay big money for the privilege of showing live games. GAA headquarters are not stupid when it comes to money and knew crowd would be poor. Time for Clubs to get headquarters to ditch Sky, today could be the catalyst.
MeAlone (Galway) - Posts: 73 - 11/06/2022 21:13:17
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Replying To katser: "Nobody on the Hill, Nobody in the Canal Stand, Nobody on middle and Upper Hogan Stand, Nobody on middle and Upper Cusack Stand. I'm guessing maybe 14,000 in Croke Park for Double-Header today? OK Fuel prices are high but public transport...trains, buses are half price?" Public transport from Mayo to Croke park can be 3 -5 hrs depending on what part of Mayo.
6-10 hrs travelling and €100 in to bring the kids- late kick off so home at 12:00am if your lucky.
Different for Galway - the train goes in a straight line from Galway city to Dublin - bus sticks to the motorway also
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 11/06/2022 21:36:51
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Imagine how good both those games could have been in Portlaoise or Tullamore for Kildare/Mayo, and Clare/Roscommon in Galway.
I remember a few years ago, Wexford played Clare in Cork at 2pm on a Saturday. A tiny crowd was the result, akin to today.
The GAA learned, now a double header for quarters. Once the people speak, the GAA sometimes listen.
I don't buy the Sky argument, there was hurling and football matches on Sky earlier in the season and no issue with 2 camera crews. There is no promotion of the games in an empty Croke Park, especially when diesel is as expensive as it is.
ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1128 - 11/06/2022 21:37:25
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Replying To MeAlone: "No they haven't, Sky dictated where games were played and pay big money for the privilege of showing live games. GAA headquarters are not stupid when it comes to money and knew crowd would be poor. Time for Clubs to get headquarters to ditch Sky, today could be the catalyst." Will the clubs fill the gap in revenue ?
carlovia (None) - Posts: 1517 - 11/06/2022 21:40:38
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Public transport from Mayo to Croke park can be 3 -5 hrs depending on what part of Mayo.
6-10 hrs travelling and €100 in to bring the kids- late kick off so home at 12:00am if your lucky.
Different for Galway - the train goes in a straight line from Galway city to Dublin - bus sticks to the motorway also" Would also add that Iarnród Éireann decided not to put on any football specials yesterday, so obviously the demand was low to begin with.
Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 12/06/2022 08:35:44
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Tone deaf GAA dismissed the concerns raised by supporters around fixing the double header for Croke Park & ploughed ahead with only approx 12,000 tickets sold.
TV Rights now dictate GAA fixture scheduling & supporters are secondary. No thoughts for families paying out huge sums on a schedule of games weekly/fortnightly, for tickets with price increases from last years price, cost of fuel, tolls, parking, programmes, food & drink. For those advocating public transport, the trains from the West are sold out at w'ends with people standing on trains/buses, no GAA specials running. Public transport from West & Notth Mayo to Dublin for a match starting at 7pm & not out of the stadium till 9.30, doesn't exist. Stay in a hotel some people say, no hotels in Dublin available & prices quoted at €1000 plus for a room.
The GAA has many highly paid staff who need to get their act together as they seem to be copying the DAA playbook on how to treat customers. They bank on loyalty of supporters & don't view them as customers.
The obsession/greed for revenue is destroying the whole game, more & more games to satisfy TV Rights money, increase in pricing of tickets, refusal to fix games for provincial grounds & in football at least, games set for western seaboard counties late on Saturday evenings, a spectacle that people are fast losing interest in watching, particularly the standard of football.
As I said last week, a good salesman could see that having 3 western seaboard teams travelling to Dublin was stupid. Set the fixtures for provincial grounds, selling different packages of tickets for families, clubs etc & you could pack out a ground giving a town outside of Dublin an economic boost. Have the fixture on a Sunday a'noon allowing families return home at a decent hour. Less fuel burnt by whatever means travelled means lower costs & lower carbon footprint also. Two packed out provincial venues would have sold more than the approx 12,000 tickets in Croke Park, time for the GAA to put its customers first.
moc.dna (Galway) - Posts: 1212 - 12/06/2022 11:00:36
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Replying To moc.dna: "Tone deaf GAA dismissed the concerns raised by supporters around fixing the double header for Croke Park & ploughed ahead with only approx 12,000 tickets sold.
TV Rights now dictate GAA fixture scheduling & supporters are secondary. No thoughts for families paying out huge sums on a schedule of games weekly/fortnightly, for tickets with price increases from last years price, cost of fuel, tolls, parking, programmes, food & drink. For those advocating public transport, the trains from the West are sold out at w'ends with people standing on trains/buses, no GAA specials running. Public transport from West & Notth Mayo to Dublin for a match starting at 7pm & not out of the stadium till 9.30, doesn't exist. Stay in a hotel some people say, no hotels in Dublin available & prices quoted at €1000 plus for a room.
The GAA has many highly paid staff who need to get their act together as they seem to be copying the DAA playbook on how to treat customers. They bank on loyalty of supporters & don't view them as customers.
The obsession/greed for revenue is destroying the whole game, more & more games to satisfy TV Rights money, increase in pricing of tickets, refusal to fix games for provincial grounds & in football at least, games set for western seaboard counties late on Saturday evenings, a spectacle that people are fast losing interest in watching, particularly the standard of football.
As I said last week, a good salesman could see that having 3 western seaboard teams travelling to Dublin was stupid. Set the fixtures for provincial grounds, selling different packages of tickets for families, clubs etc & you could pack out a ground giving a town outside of Dublin an economic boost. Have the fixture on a Sunday a'noon allowing families return home at a decent hour. Less fuel burnt by whatever means travelled means lower costs & lower carbon footprint also. Two packed out provincial venues would have sold more than the approx 12,000 tickets in Croke Park, time for the GAA to put its customers first." 100%
Be nice to see the four quarter finals fixed for four neutral provincial venues.
Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1412 - 12/06/2022 12:20:30
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Replying To Onion Breath: "100%
Be nice to see the four quarter finals fixed for four neutral provincial venues." That won't happen. 4 quarter finals will be on CP irrespective of pairings. Because that is the GAA way.
johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 12/06/2022 15:48:22
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Will the quarter finals be all played in Croker ?
I'd assume there will be two double headers unless it's Mayo v a Dublin in which case it would be a stand alone fixture as it would sell out no problem.
yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 12/06/2022 16:12:00
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Tuam was a terrible spot for traffic back in the day - salt hill is 10 times worse. Tuam would be much better now.
The problem with most GAA stadiums is that public transport doesn't bring you there.
As a minimum condition for a neutral venue it should have a rail link -
So to pick a venue - take out an Iarnrod Eireann rail map and start from there.
Even Croker is a pain in the arse for most of the country. Why Iran-rod Eireann can't put a train line from Newbridge to Clonsilla and Dunboyne to Drogheda is beyond me.
This craic of having to run from Croke Park to Hurston to get the train home after a match is a balls" There is a train line from Heuston to Connolly. It runs under the Phoenix Park and they use it for commuter trains. It will be part of the DART eventually. IR choose not to use it for specials.
Rolo2010 (Donegal) - Posts: 738 - 12/06/2022 16:14:48
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