No more Ulster finals in Croke Park?

[Elias]

I've always enjoyed going to Clones, as long as I'm not driving that is. I really believe the best answer to this problem is to redevelop Casement. I know the infrastructure is not perfect, but it's a long long way better than the roads of Monaghan.

Yes the M1 can become blocked at the height of rush hour but it seldom comes to a standstill, and travelling to work via the M1 for 2 years before I moved here leaves me to believe it's the best possible solution.

Yes a crash on the motorway would stick two fingers up to my argument but that can happen on any road; and lets be honest usually will when you get a concentrated flow of traffic to one particular destination.

Anyway I would be happy as long as the UF moved back to Ulster, never really liked with having it in CP, but still attended because I'm not gonna be fool enough to stay away because of a slight gripe.

Plus because I now live in Belfast I have a meger 10 min taxi journey to get to Casement 

[Donagh]

Dublin has loads of multi-storey parking,

not within an asses roar of Croker though

Get a bus from Parnell Sq carpark or 20 minute walk. I've never had a problem parking in the College either...

[Fionntamhnach]

Apart from geography, one thing that would stop me supporting Casement Park from being a venue for Ulster finals is that any time I've been to it, the atmosphere has been dead even in a near packed house. Clones, for all its faults, when near capacity is electric.

[Mid Mon]

Did anyone have the experience of bricks been thrown of bridges at your bus on the way to Clones?

[Donagh]

Did anyone have the experience of bricks been thrown of bridges at your bus on the way to Clones?

Have had the windows put through on a few occassions passing Portadown.

[lynchbhoy]

Did anyone have the experience of bricks been thrown of bridges at your bus on the way to Clones?

what part of Tyrone was that in?

[Bogball XV]

what part of Tyrone was that in?

Probably Cookstown as usual

[GrandMasterFlash]

Being a Clones man (but living in Belfast for 13 years) I find it interesting to read the pros/cons about St Tiernachs Park on this thread. Of course I'm gonna be biased towards it but I duly take on board the problems with getting in and out out the place. In that rescpect I would say if 40/50K people descended on any small town in Ireland on any given day it would seriously stress the road network in that area! Parking is an issue but if the GAA are serious about this then either develop a car parking facilty or maybe a park/ride system on the Monaghan Rd route for example to ease the pressure. I amd not on the main Newtownbutler/Cavan/Monaghan side of the town and have never personally had much trouble getting in or out of the place.

  In terms of economics, 15/20 years ago Clones was a prosperous border town (remember this is when the roads surrounding the town leading to NI were all closed and it was common to buy fuel/food/electrical goods 'across the border, paying you're VAT to the Irish Customs on the way back in of course...) but now for want of a better word 'is on it's knees' with very little small business or the prospect of existing in the town anymore. Why am I say this? Well the prospect of the Ulster Final returning to the town has massive implications for the people of the town and I personally think it would be great to see it back there. I know people are gonna have a go at me about the services/rip-off culture/parking in the town and I accept that alot of work needs to be done in this area. If the people of Clones get this oppotunity then they better not f**K it up as they will face the consequences, and rightly so.

  As one poster said, when St Tiernachs in near capacity the atmosphere is electric, and I think it is, given the fact that it's not always Monaghan I'm goin to watch there!! I would say the main leveraging point about this issue is the potential funding from the Irish Sports Council and the age old adage that 'the GAA don't have to pay VAT on tickets sold in the Repbulic Of Ireland'. So for all the arguments surrouding Healy Park/Casement I think that Clones will get the go-ahead for this reason, be it the right decision or not I'm afriad!

  I live in Belfast and really enjoy Casement for it's convenience and think the playing surface is first class, but there is zero atmosphere before/after big games there which let's face it, is part of the fabric of the GAA in IMHO.

[snatter]

I think that Clones/Monaghan have a damn nerve to try and dictate how the GAA spend €18 million of its own money.
The sole criteria should be what's good for Ulster GAA, not for the rip-off merchants of Clones.

Read carefully what Monaghan are saying:

"We would hope that the government would come up with funding in the region of €12 million, and that the bulk of the remaining outlay would be provided by grants from the GAA and Ulster Council," explained Monaghan chairman John Connolly.

Yep, sign away your right to play your finals where they make most sense, then spend €18 million on the wrong ground, in the wrong location.


And after spending €18 million of our own money, what do we get?
In their own words
"another deck on the covered stand and putting a double deck stand at the road end where there is now terracing."

That's right, a sub standard half stadium, where roughly two thirds of the capacity will be standing and uncovered.

As said before, casement doesn't have the room to expand.

If we go down the Maze route, however, we get a wholly covered, 80% seated proper stadium, in a far better location, for next to nowt.
As for atmosphere, its best when you've got a roof above you to catch the noise.

[armaghniac]

Monaghan are not "dictating" to the GAA, they are proposing a development and seeking support for it, as counties all over the country have done. The Maze stadium is something for nothing and that's a hard proposition to resist. But what's so good about its location?  Going to Clones you can stick the flag on your car and stop off en route for an ice cream, can you do that going to the Maze? The Maze location is extremely vulnerable to some future Drumcree type thing where somebody leaves a parcel under an M1 flyover. A roof on the Maze would be good for atmosphere, but when you come out, there is nothing outside the stadium.

[GrandMasterFlash]

Here here Armaghniac, there are an awful lot of folk getting the wrong opinion of this whole medai hype. As you say there are proposals country wide so why shouldn't Clones try and as I said in my previous post, it needs it financially... I remember when the Maze Issue first raised it's ugly head the negativity that was relfected on this board. Now alot of folk are all for it?  Some people have very short memories...

[snatter]

Armaghniac,

If Monaghan insist that all future finals are played in Clones, then they ARE dictating to the GAA.

If this development was good enough, it would be able to stand on its own two feet, and not try and force the GAA to sign away its right to stage finals whereever suits best.

If most of the fans had seats, a roof over their heads, and could get home relatively quickly, then there'd be no need to sign away anything.
It's better for the GAA not to get hooked into long term deals that seem attractive at the time. Look at the shite that the IFA will have to go through to break their similar agreement with Linfield.

Re

Going to Clones you can stick the flag on your car and stop off en route for an ice cream, can you do that going to the Maze?

If this is your most important consideration about stadium location, then why not have it in Cork, there'd be plenty of ice cream shops on the way down 

[OdoSkimodo]

Where are you from snatter?

What is your pro maze argument? It's got a roof? Location?

[Mid Mon]

The main stand and the road-side terrace becoming 2 tier stands will result in 50% covered seating accommodation with approximately another 25% of the stadium of been seated. Based on the current capacity of around 36000, 26000 of that is in the two sides that are not on the initial plan for development which leads a 24000 capacity for the two new stands.

[bennydorano]

I'd take Clones anyday over Casement and Croke Park(for UF), the roads are a nightmare at times but to be honest I tend to miss most of it by staying for a few after the game or by haring it down to the motor straight after the game.

The Maze may offer a spanking new stadium but it will be a sterile environment in the middle of an area not overly fond of the GAA