https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/coronavirus-pandemic-puts-gaa-s-big-projects-on-hold-1.4272997?mode=ampBoth Kildare and Meath understand that they’re essentially at the mercy of what happens in the rest of 2020. Even if the roadmap back to some form of All-Ireland championship is followed without a hitch, funds are not going to be plentiful.
Both redevelopments have been earmarked for public funds with €4.875 million of Newbridge’s overall cost of €10 million announced last January as was €6.2 million for Navan and its phased development scheme, the first part of which is the construction of a new main stand, estimated at just under €12 million, and which ultimately will be an all-seater 21,000-capacity stadium.
Kildare would have hoped for GAA assistance with most of the balance whereas Meath, who had looked for €8 million in public money (from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund) have some leeway to make up and had been hoping that Croke Park could kick in up to a fifth of the cost, about €2.3 million.
Sources in both counties accept that the future is uncertain, as resources for capital projects will be scarce and however well the GAA manages to do out of its rescheduled season, 2020 will be about damage limitation.
In Waterford, the pessimistic view is that the Walsh Park project is “running third, behind Navan and Newbridge and by and large, parked” and that central assistance won’t be available until 2021 or 2022.
Deferral could push costs up from €7 million to €9 million, which even in normal circumstances would be unwelcome for a strapped county board even allowing that the design could be modified to defray costs.
Although some comfort is being taken from the GAA’s history of honouring such commitments, these are extraordinary times and there are are no easy reassurances for the time being
