O'Donoughue starts ranting again...

[dublinfella]

As for O'Donoghue - he's not very politically adept is he? esp in Election year.

this is interesting. all the politicians in tallaght  have been very vocal in their support of Rovers on this. none have come out and supported TD or the GAA. These guys know their constituancy. What exactly makes you think JO'D or the others will lose votes on this line of action? Voters in Kerry dont give two fucks that he has stuck to his guns on providing a soccer ground in west dublin.

methinks this is the real anger on the site. the gaa doesnt have the political clout of old. not even enough to muscle a kerry minister for finance on a small project anymore. no-one outside the GAA family supports TD on this whereas 25 years ago they would.

[Rossfan]

,
Are we still persisting with this innaccurate line that Rovers, and now Athlone, are getting 'free' stadia? .

Not sure about Athlone but Shams ARE to get a stadium built by the Government through the local Council.
Normally when Sports clubs/organisations get lotto grants they have to put up at least 25% of the funds themselves. But this failed professional/commercial outfit Shamrock Rovers seem to be exempt from that.
WHY ?
and "Dublin"fella -what is your agenda,what GAA club  ::)do you belong to?

[dublinfella]

,
Are we still persisting with this innaccurate line that Rovers, and now Athlone, are getting 'free' stadia? .

Not sure about Athlone but Shams ARE to get a stadium built by the Government through the local Council.
Normally when Sports clubs/organisations get lotto grants they have to put up at least 25% of the funds themselves. But this failed professional/commercial outfit Shamrock Rovers seem to be exempt from that.
WHY ?
and "Dublin"fella -what is your agenda,what GAA club  ::)do you belong to?

Read the second paragraph of the article from the stars GAA correspondant that was a TD puff piece. SRFC have put €2m in. That SRFC put a sizeable chunk in is not being denied even by TD, although i believe they queried the amount. can people stop with the 'free' stadium nonsense

Im not naming the club I play/volunteer in, but its near to all this. My 'agenda' is two fold. It was clear from day 1 that TD had no legally valid case. While i think rovers have done very well in this, its not really our place to kick up. its clearly a blocking move and it infuriates me that TD feel that the best way to confront the threat of rovers youth setup is to use the law to keep them out. we need more confidence in the strength of our games to attract players, not hide from the challenge.

secondly, td have declared that they arent looking to get this for themselves, but to create a southside parnell park. this has been rumbling for years with a site located in rathcoole, pearse park atc. the dcb should get off their holes and build this bloody thing, not magpie into a soccer ground through TD in court. im sick of being fobbed off by the DCB about a suitable southside venue, and this most certainly isnt it. 2,000 seats? useless.

[Rossfan]

[outfit Shamrock Rovers seem to be exempt from that.

. SRFC have put €2m in. .

PLEASE STOP PEDDLING UNTRUTHS - SHAMROCK ROVERS PUT EXACTLY NOTHING IN FOR **** SAKE.
They get the builder to do €2.3m worth of work - and then got grant of IR£ 1.5m(€1.9m).
The Council had to pay the Builder the other €400k.

REPEAT AFTER ME SHAM ROVERS PUT NOTHING INTO THE THING.

[magickingdom]

dublinfella, you aint quite right with a lot of your points

"Are we still persisting with this innaccurate line that Rovers, and now Athlone, are getting 'free' stadia? Its just patently innaccurate. All the indignation seems to stem from this incorrect premise"

how is it inaccurate?

"I'm not defending shamrock rovers, but to suggest the club itself sold milltown is a bizarre interpretation of the whole KRAM events"

did the owners of the club not sell the ground

"What you are saying magick is that when a GAA club draw down lotto funding its all right and proper, but when athlone town do it they are getting 'handed a stadium'? Its this hypocricy that drives me nuts."

my point is these are PROFESSIONAL clubs. a business if you want to be precise. i have no problem with lotto money or gov money going to amature soccer clubs

"quid pro quo on CP opening is not the GAA going to court to get free access to soccer stadiums. "

its not a soccer stadium. the gaa are actually trying to SHARE the stadium. i'm delighted cp is open.


"minister for finance"

hes not minister for finance

[deiseach]

not true, there are dozens of municipal swimming pools, gyms, golf courses, athletics tracks, nevermind council pitches (and one soccer ground Waterford United play in), directly ran and paid for by local authorities up and down the country.

Note that the 'S' in RSC stands for 'Sports', not 'Soccer'. It's a multi-sports facility.

[deiseach]

according to the rovers fans on foot.ie, they day went very well for them. the TD barrister talked for 40 mins about Irish language and culture and how a soccer club would 'threaten' this before the judge told him to stop the waffle and get to the legal point. the entire case hinges on whether SDCC are entitled to re-vote on an issue after an original descision was queried by a minister. all parties agreed this is the substantive, with SDCC and SRFC arguing they can. TD have to prove this second look is in fact illegal to get their review, and its hard to see how they can do so.

This person wouldn't be related to the person who told you the GAA were going to be broadcasting videos of hurling and gaelic football at half-time in the rugby internationals at Croke Park, would they?

[deiseach]

Are we still persisting with this innaccurate line that Rovers, and now Athlone, are getting 'free' stadia? Its just patently innaccurate. All the indignation seems to stem from this incorrect premise. And from the same people who get hot and bothered when its suggested that CP was funded by the state.

It's not free, right enough. But they've received two-thirds funding and had their tax bill written off. If the IDA gave that kind of money to a failed business, there'd be Dáil Select Committees, outraged editorials, demands for a head, laughing stock of Europe etc.

[dublinfella]

[outfit Shamrock Rovers seem to be exempt from that.

. SRFC have put €2m in. .

PLEASE STOP PEDDLING UNTRUTHS - SHAMROCK ROVERS PUT EXACTLY NOTHING IN FOR **** SAKE.
They get the builder to do €2.3m worth of work - and then got grant of IR£ 1.5m(€1.9m).
The Council had to pay the Builder the other €400k.

REPEAT AFTER ME SHAM ROVERS PUT NOTHING INTO THE THING.

you are just plain wrong on that. there is no simpler way to say it. even TD on court on friday stated that SRFC had put money in. they just disputed the amount.

the council have payed nothing yet. because TD are taking an injunctrion. again, any reading of the stories in the papers on this and you would be clear on that.

we need the actual facts of the situation out there, and with respect Rossfan, you arent helping.

[dublinfella]

 Indo - 17.03.07
GAA club in High Court bid to play on soccer grounds

A GAA club in south County Dublin has gone to the High Court in a row over whether the new Shamrock Rovers stadium should be a soccer-only venue.

Thomas Davis GAA Club has asked the court for permission to bring a legal challenge.

The Tallaght club wants to overturn South Dublin County Council's decision of February 13, 2006, that the 6,000-seat stadium at Whitestown Way, Tallaght, should be completed for soccer only.

That decision was in accordance with a proposal made by the county manager made earlier in 2005.

However, after a public consultation process and following a recommendation by the Tallaght Area Committee in November 2005, the manager's proposal was altered to one in favour of a multi-sport stadium, involving the development of a larger-sized pitch suitable for Gaelic games.

The council, on December 12, 2005, unanimously adopted a resolution in favour of the second proposal.

However, after it was told that the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, John O'Donoghue would only provide funding for a soccer-only stadium, on February 13, 2006, the council passed a resolution which reverted to the original proposals.

Yesterday, Robert Barron, for the Thomas Davis club, applied to Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill for leave to bring judicial review proceedings aimed at overturning that decision which, he contended, was made in excess of the council's powers and was therefore null and void and of no effect.

Because the proceedings involve a planning matter, the club has to bring them on notice to affected parties and must also establish it has substantial grounds to bring the proceedings.

The stated objects of the GAA club were inconsistent with the development plan for the stadium

Both the council and Shamrock Rovers FC oppose the judicial review application. In submissions, Dermot Flanagan, for the council, said that the Thomas Davis club did not have the necessary legal standing to bring the case solely on the basis that it wished the stadium to be developed to facilitate the playing of Gaelic games.

The stated objects of the GAA club were inconsistent with the development plan for the stadium, he argued.

The stadium could only be completed with the assistance of funds from the minister who had stated these would be available only for a soccer-only stadium, Mr Flanagan added.

Maurice Collins, for Shamrock Rovers FC, argued the leave application was based on a narrow technical point.

The Thomas Davis club was really acting as emissaries for the GAA in bringing the case, he said. It wanted the Whitestown stadium to be the "Parnell Park of the southside."

While that aspiration might be noble, it had little to do with the application, counsel said. Even if the GAA club won the action, it would be of little benefit as the minister had refused to fund the development, counsel also argued.

The hearing continues on Tuesday.

Ann O'Loughlin

[dublinfella]

Irish Times 17.03.07

GAA club seeking to alter stadium decision

A GAA club has asked the High Court for permission to bring a legal challenge to a decision that the new Shamrock Rovers stadium in Tallaght should be a soccer-only venue.

Thomas Davis GAA club in Tallaght wants to overturn South Dublin County Council's decision of February 13th, 2006, that the 6,000-seat stadium at Whitestown Way, Tallaght, should be completed for soccer only.

That decision was in accordance with a proposal of the county manager made earlier in 2005.

However, after a public consultation process, and following a recommendation by the Tallaght Area Committee in November 2005, the manger's proposal was altered to one in favour of a multi-sport stadium involving the development of a larger pitch suitable for Gaelic games.

The council on December 12th, 2005, unanimously adopted a resolution in favour of the second proposal.

However, after it was told that Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue would only provide funding for a soccer-only stadium, the council on February 13th, 2006, passed a resolution which reverted to the original proposal.

Yesterday, Robert Barron SC, for the GAA club, applied to Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill for leave to bring judicial review proceedings aimed at overturning the February 13th decision which, he contended, was made in excess of the council's powers and was, therefore, null and void and of no effect.

The hearing continues on Tuesday.
__________________

[neilthemac]

stop posting articles directly.

we do buy the papers!

I'm not really bothered as to whether Thomas Davis have the RIGHT to play GAA or whether the Shams DESERVE to have a stadium built for them.

What I do care about is South Dublin County Council changing their mind about a decision, when put under pressure from a government minister. Local representatives should not be influenced like this. If the locals want a multi sport facility - then that is what it should be!

I also care about the same minister bad mouthing the GAA

[dublinfella]

stop posting articles directly.

we do buy the papers!

I'm not really bothered as to whether Thomas Davis have the RIGHT to play GAA or whether the Shams DESERVE to have a stadium built for them.

What I do care about is South Dublin County Council changing their mind about a decision, when put under pressure from a government minister. Local representatives should not be influenced like this. If the locals want a multi sport facility - then that is what it should be!

I also care about the same minister bad mouthing the GAA

but you have profoundly missed the point. SDCC originally had it as a soccer only facilty and under pressure from the 6 local clubs the councellors changed their mind. JO'D told them that he wouldnt fund this so they changed their minds back again.

TD are appealing the legality of the second change of mind. but the first one is grand. so its ok for the GAA to have their say but not the minister funding it?

this entire thing is madness.

[deiseach]

The only madness I see is the Minister ploughing such an astonishing amount of cash into what is not just a failed business (Shamrock Rovers) but a failed business model (Eircom League clubs - see: Shelbourne, Dublin City, St James' Gate, Waterford, various Limerick clubs). Bravo to anyone willing to confront such madness.

[Rossfan]

[
the council have payed nothing yet.

we need the actual facts of the situation out there, and with respect Rossfan, you arent helping.

The SDCC have paid quite an amount of money on this -I will get the amount from my mate the South Dublin Council official when he's back working next week.
SHAMROCK ROVERS PAID NOTHING -FACT
I am obviously not helping your selective opinion on this matter by telling the inconvenient  truth.
As for the original proposal  - THAT WAS _THE COUNCIL GAVE A SITE TO SHAMS ,SHAMS APPLIED FOR PLANNING TO BUILD A STADIUM WHICH THEY WOULD BUILD WITH LOTTO FUNDING AND PRESUMABLY 25% OF THEIR OWN. They were to pay a rent of £10,000 to the Council none of which was paid.
Then the Council took back the lease after 5 or 6 years of looking at a semi derelict site and no rent coming in.
Then the Council went through the Special Planning process for Local Authorities to build a soccer only Stadium. After all the public submissions were examined the Councillors voted to amend the plans that were put out for public consumption to make the pitch big enough to accomodate Gaelic Games .
This was only right as it was now to be a totally public funded "Municipal Stadium" which imlpies that Soccer/GAA/Rugby/Hockey or anyone else could seek to use it -presumably by applying to and paying the Council for its use.
But enter the pompous ass from Kerry -"Soccer or nothing"
As for the Independent having facts - dont make me laugh -that rag