Gaa takes over Mayo debt

[Lone Shark]

. Connacht doesn't need somewhere to hold more provincial finals, so there's no logic to building it to that standard.

, but there is only one Connacht Final per year. Already we have two stadia that are full once every 24 months, there's no way it makes sense to have another and that they're all full once every three years.

The problem is that for the vast majority of the population of Connacht those 2 ( esp the Salthill wind tunnel) require an endurance test to get there and back.
Last time I was at a CF in Salthill it was 8.30 before the traffic got moving freely from the Salthill area.

But it's a handy spin for someone from Rosslare, or Shannonbridge, or Moyne to get to Croke Park, or for someone from anywhere in Donegal to get to Casement Park or Clones?

I agree that getting to Salthill is an absolute pain in the behind for a good few people, but that's not a good reason to build another 30,000 seater stadium. It might be reason to have more park and ride bus services all right, which you'll find will cost a lot less than the price of revamping the Hyde.   

Secondly, when you say "the vast majority of the population of Connacht" you do realise that Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim between them have about the same population as Galway city and County? So I'm not sure how you make that one out.

[muppet]

. Connacht doesn't need somewhere to hold more provincial finals, so there's no logic to building it to that standard.

, but there is only one Connacht Final per year. Already we have two stadia that are full once every 24 months, there's no way it makes sense to have another and that they're all full once every three years.

The problem is that for the vast majority of the population of Connacht those 2 ( esp the Salthill wind tunnel) require an endurance test to get there and back.
Last time I was at a CF in Salthill it was 8.30 before the traffic got moving freely from the Salthill area.

But it's a handy spin for someone from Rosslare, or Shannonbridge, or Moyne to get to Croke Park, or for someone from anywhere in Donegal to get to Casement Park or Clones?

I agree that getting to Salthill is an absolute pain in the behind for a good few people, but that's not a good reason to build another 30,000 seater stadium. It might be reason to have more park and ride bus services all right, which you'll find will cost a lot less than the price of revamping the Hyde.   

Secondly, when you say "the vast majority of the population of Connacht" you do realise that Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim between them have about the same population as Galway city and County? So I'm not sure how you make that one out.

Castlebar is no more than an hour from the vast majority of Connacht. South Galway and parts of Leitrim and maybe north Sligo accepted.

Hyde Park is nearly 2 hours from Belmullet.

[AZOffaly]

How far is Limerick?

[Lar Naparka]

How far is Limerick?

Not far enough!

[johnneycool]

I don't think Mayo CB are the only ones availing of this low interest option from Croke Park and they won't be the last.

[Crete Boom]

 Lads just to clarify , while a lot of headlines and people on here keep mentioning write off in their comments unless the details are different to what's reported this isn't a write off. Mayo will still be paying back the 10m plus interest just over a longer periods of time leading to lower annual repayments. The only savings are short term as in a lower annual repayment but all the money will still have to be repaid albeit over a longer period of 29 years. A write off would mean some of the principle and/or the interest not being paid back at all!! Whether we deserve the loan restructure which eases the short term pressure on the Co Board or not I honestly can't decide.While obviously as a Mayoman I am happy the threat of Mayo Gaa going bankrupt is averted (I am sure Croke Park don't want any county going bankrupt either) where are the consequences for the people mismanaged this mess on the county board?? If these mistakes are unpunished what is to stop similar problems arising in the future in Mayo as wwell as other counties?( I am looking at you Cork Co Board!!)

Also Offaly and Kildare should in my view be given the exact same support Mayo have been given now as they situations look like identical examples of poor judgement like us in Mayo.If they are willing to let our incompetence slide then other counties deserve at least the same treatment as us. As for Syferus (and his alter gaa board ego's) unfortunately for you this is exactly the same as the Rossie money problems of the 90's( Co Board owing a large amount of money to a private creditor) just on a grander scale of incompetence/hubris/arrogance/stupidity , so people in glass houses and all that craic!!

[Zulu]

The Cork project only got the go-ahead due to the rugby world cup so the GAA might end up with a very decent stadium for many years without having to foot the bill. In saying that it's utterly daft the amount of stadiums we have and Munster is a particularly poor example of multiple vanity projects.

[giveballaghback]

Mayo may not be the only county in financial difficulties but they are the only county spending in excess of 750k per annum on their county senior panel and then going to the gaa with the begging bowl,
Also what was the money spent on? have ye seen Mchale park, its a joke, there is something very wrong here, tribunals were set up for less, there needs to be some sort of internal enquiry by the gaa into these matters.

[Blowitupref]

In fairness to O'Connor Park, it was built to be suitable for qualifiers and other games with crowds up to 20k - which is the vast majority of fixtures. Yes it's an asset to the GAA people in Offaly, but it's an asset to the GAA generally, and one that gets used extremely frequently. That's not the same at all as the scenario in Roscommon.

As for the historical context in Roscommon, I don't doubt you for a second - I know the history that led to the current situation. However you can't seriously be advocating spending money to right a historical wrong?

If Roscommon, or Cork, or any other county, needs high class training facilities, or more infrastructure at club level, or basic facilities for their supporters at their county grounds, of course the GAA should support from on high. Neither of them needs a 30k+ capacity stadium though.

I think you only need a capacity of 25k to host a Connacht final which is a little over the capacity of O Connor park? Given the central location of Hyde park it is sure to get qualifiers,club semi finals and All Ireland U21 finals once it's redeveloped.

[giveballaghback]

O Connor park in one of the best grounds in Ireland to watch a match and for access in and out.

[Lone Shark]

I think you only need a capacity of 25k to host a Connacht final which is a little over the capacity of O Connor park? Given the central location of Hyde park it is sure to get qualifiers,club semi finals and All Ireland U21 finals once it's redeveloped.

But in the case of qualifiers, club semis and All Ireland u21 games, the Hyde is perfectly capable of hosting them as it stands now. The only reason to redevelop it in terms of capacity is for Connacht finals, these are the only games that they can't host right now and might be able to get in future.

[Syferus]

I think you only need a capacity of 25k to host a Connacht final which is a little over the capacity of O Connor park? Given the central location of Hyde park it is sure to get qualifiers,club semi finals and All Ireland U21 finals once it's redeveloped.

But in the case of qualifiers, club semis and All Ireland u21 games, the Hyde is perfectly capable of hosting them as it stands now. The only reason to redevelop it in terms of capacity is for Connacht finals, these are the only games that they can't host right now and might be able to get in future.

If you think the marsh that is the floodlight-less Hyde is capable of hosting serious as is you're totally wrong. It's not a good experience for player or supporter and it's not a good advertisement for Roscommon or the GAA right now. There's not enough working bathrooms to host anything over a few thousand people without importing port-a-cabins. The stadium needs modernisation either way. Not ensuring safety hats can't undercut the capacity of the ground (which was big enough to host 30k handily enough when it was newer) to below what John Prenty wants for Connacht finals would be less a white elephant and more an instance of insanity.

Lots of GAA grounds are crumbling and need significant renovation, and this is completely unavoidable. You're trying to appeal to casual supporters and people expecting certain standards of comfort and a lot of county grounds simply don't compare on basic amenities any more. None of the talk of the development of the Hyde has mentioned expanding it, it's intended to consolidate what's already there.

[Lone Shark]

I think you only need a capacity of 25k to host a Connacht final which is a little over the capacity of O Connor park? Given the central location of Hyde park it is sure to get qualifiers,club semi finals and All Ireland U21 finals once it's redeveloped.

But in the case of qualifiers, club semis and All Ireland u21 games, the Hyde is perfectly capable of hosting them as it stands now. The only reason to redevelop it in terms of capacity is for Connacht finals, these are the only games that they can't host right now and might be able to get in future.

If you think the marsh that is the floodlight-less Hyde is capable of hosting serious as is you're totally wrong. It's not a good experience for player or supporter and it's not a good advertisement for Roscommon or the GAA right now. There's not enough working bathrooms to host anything over a few thousand people without importing port-a-cabins. The stadium needs modernisation either way. Not ensuring safety hats can't undercut the capacity of the ground (which was big enough to host 30k handily enough when it was newer) to below what John Prenty wants for Connacht finals would be less a white elephant and more an instance of insanity.

Lots of GAA grounds are crumbling and need significant renovation, and this is completely unavoidable. You're trying to appeal to casual supporters and people expecting certain standards of comfort and a lot of county grounds simply don't compare on basic amenities any more. None of the talk of the development of the Hyde has mentioned expanding it, it's intended to consolidate what's already there.

If you're asking me should there be work done on the Hyde in terms of bathroom facilities, access and egress, and the disgraceful state of the field, then yes is the answer, and the GAA as a whole should support that. I'm merely saying that spending money increasing the capacity so that it could hold a Connacht Final once every three years or so would be a waste.

Anyway, that's all neither here nor there. I stand over the view, aired in my Offaly Indo column this week, that there is a strong case to be made for centralising the ownership of a lot of GAA infrastructure, where Croke Park would ensure that there is adequate playing and training facilities accessible to all counties, just not necessarily in each of the 32 counties in the country.

For those so inclined, the column is here - the Indo is a free paper so even if you do have to register, it doesn't cost anything to subscribe.

http://www.offalyindependent.ie/epaperview/1264#/32/

[rosnarun]

whats being over looked here is only some of the money owed by Mayoo GAa was spent on doing up Mchale park 'stadium'
A lot more was spent doing up the Whole facility which is in reality now Mayo's own Center of excellence

[Syferus]

Access, toliet facilities were key to the Hyde's capacity being reduced in the first place, Lone Shark. Fixing them alone would necessitate its capacity increasing.