Westmeath and Roscommon to ground share in Athlone?

[From the Bunker]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2013/1217/493494-curran-proposes-new-shared-stadium/

Shane Curran proposes new stadium that would be shared between Roscommon and Westmeath



Former Roscommon goalkeeper Shane Curran has proposed a new stadium in Athlone to stage home matches for Westmeath and Roscommon that would include state of the art facilities to boost Gaelic Games in the region.
The project would incorporate a centre of excellence for use by both counties as well as underage structures to increase the number of children involved in the sports.
He made the suggestion in his column in the Westmeath Independent and told RTÉ's Drivetime this afternoon: "The key objective to what I'm proposing is the likes of Roscommon and Westmeath would come together to produce a plan that would give the people of the midlands and west region a creditable centre of excellent and a creditable stadium in which to play the game.
"When something like this is put out into the public domain, it is an emotive question because there is a lot of historical differences in the GAA through part-ownership.
"What we have to establish is whether there is a want for it, whether there is a need for it and a sober analysis of whether we can afford it or not."

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Vanity project. Not needed with McHale Park to the West and Croke Park to the East.

Makes me think of this song, flying from East Coast of Ireland/Britain or the Mainland (the Continent) to West Coast of Ireland.


Have to say you Midlanders/Rossies do have a quaint quality, between the rich East and cultured West.

Roscommon has to be the "Badlands" and Westmeath has to be the "Middle of nowhere"

Those flyover states of counties.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6OEPp3PSPA

[Syferus]

Good idea from Christmas Cake and one were it to provide a top class stadium and training facilities I'd very willingly give up the Hyde for.

Too many political stumbling blocks, though. One provincial council is tough enough to deal with but can you imagine the red tape trying to get two of them on board and happy with their slices of the pie and their respective financial burdens?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Good idea from Christmas Cake and one were it to provide a top class stadium and training facilities I'd very willingly give up the Hyde for.

Too many political stumbling blocks, though. One provincial council is tough enough to deal with but can you imagine the red tape trying to get two of them on board and happy with their slices of the pie and their respective financial burdens?

Leinster has Croke Park and Connacht has McHale Park, no need for the provincials getting above their station.

The question is should the GAA rotate the All-Ireland Finals between the redeveloped Casement, McHale Park, Croke Park and one of Pairc Ui Chaoimh, the Gaelic Grounds and Semple Stadium?

[shark]

Not gonna happen in a million years.  Paper never refuses ink.

[Rossfan]

True Shark.
The whole northern half of Ros would stop any of our money going to it while a multi sports stadium would probably lead to nothing but rows.
As for you Godhelpya - while a bit of silly humour and banter is all very well and welcome -can you now please stop ruining every thread with your rhubarbsh1te

[Syferus]

True Shark.
The whole northern half of Ros would stop any of our money going to it while a multi sports stadium would probably lead to nothing but rows.
As for you Godhelpya - while a bit of silly humour and banter is all very well and welcome -can you now please stop ruining every thread with your rhubarbsh1te

You don't get much farther north than Ballagh and no one I've talked to has a conceptual issue with it. We're hardly a massive county and given attendances at the Hyde it's hardly a crowd magnet. Consolidated resources is the smartest way forward for Midlands counties.

Were Westmeath ever relocated to Connacht, which along with Longford remains the most viable way of realigning the provinces, this idea would become even more attractive.

Westmeath and Roscommon are in need of better facilities and Westmeath's 10-year lease on the use of AIT's facilities is a stop-gap at best.

The debt counties like Mayo have had to incur to build said facilities tells us that a county Roscommon or Westmeath attempting similar on their own is going to be a very difficult road to walk.

[BennyCake]

Good idea from Christmas Cake and one were it to provide a top class stadium and training facilities I'd very willingly give up the Hyde for.

Too many political stumbling blocks, though. One provincial council is tough enough to deal with but can you imagine the red tape trying to get two of them on board and happy with their slices of the pie and their respective financial burdens?

Is that what he's known as during the festive season? 

[seafoid]

True Shark.
The whole northern half of Ros would stop any of our money going to it while a multi sports stadium would probably lead to nothing but rows.
As for you Godhelpya - while a bit of silly humour and banter is all very well and welcome -can you now please stop ruining every thread with your rhubarbsh1te

You don't get much farther north than Ballagh and no one I've talked to has a conceptual issue with it. We're hardly a massive county and given attendances at the Hyde it's hardly a crowd magnet. Consolidated resources is the smartest way forward for Midlands counties.

Were Westmeath ever relocated to Connacht, which along with Longford remains the most viable way of realigning the provinces, this idea would become even more attractive.

Westmeath and Roscommon are in need of better facilities and Westmeath's 10-year lease on the use of AIT's facilities is a stop-gap at best.

The debt counties like Mayo have had to incur to build said facilities tells us that a county Roscommon or Westmeath attempting similar on their own is going to be a very difficult road to walk.

Is Boyle not further north than ballagh? I wouldn't let westmeath into connacht either. Croi chulturtha na hEireann can't be diluted with another c and w county. MWR is enough already. 

[Syferus]

True Shark.
The whole northern half of Ros would stop any of our money going to it while a multi sports stadium would probably lead to nothing but rows.
As for you Godhelpya - while a bit of silly humour and banter is all very well and welcome -can you now please stop ruining every thread with your rhubarbsh1te

You don't get much farther north than Ballagh and no one I've talked to has a conceptual issue with it. We're hardly a massive county and given attendances at the Hyde it's hardly a crowd magnet. Consolidated resources is the smartest way forward for Midlands counties.

Were Westmeath ever relocated to Connacht, which along with Longford remains the most viable way of realigning the provinces, this idea would become even more attractive.

Westmeath and Roscommon are in need of better facilities and Westmeath's 10-year lease on the use of AIT's facilities is a stop-gap at best.

The debt counties like Mayo have had to incur to build said facilities tells us that a county Roscommon or Westmeath attempting similar on their own is going to be a very difficult road to walk.

Is Boyle not further north than ballagh? I wouldn't let westmeath into connacht either. Croi chulturtha na hEireann can't be diluted with another c and w county. MWR is enough already.

I didn't mean Ballagh was the most northernly point, sure from Arigna you can see into Fermanagh on a good day.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

True Shark.
The whole northern half of Ros would stop any of our money going to it while a multi sports stadium would probably lead to nothing but rows.
As for you Godhelpya - while a bit of silly humour and banter is all very well and welcome -can you now please stop ruining every thread with your rhubarbsh1te

You don't get much farther north than Ballagh and no one I've talked to has a conceptual issue with it. We're hardly a massive county and given attendances at the Hyde it's hardly a crowd magnet. Consolidated resources is the smartest way forward for Midlands counties.

Were Westmeath ever relocated to Connacht, which along with Longford remains the most viable way of realigning the provinces, this idea would become even more attractive.

Westmeath and Roscommon are in need of better facilities and Westmeath's 10-year lease on the use of AIT's facilities is a stop-gap at best.

The debt counties like Mayo have had to incur to build said facilities tells us that a county Roscommon or Westmeath attempting similar on their own is going to be a very difficult road to walk.

Is Boyle not further north than ballagh? I wouldn't let westmeath into connacht either. Croi chulturtha na hEireann can't be diluted with another c and w county. MWR is enough already.

At least Boyle is in Roscommon. Ballagh is east Mayo 

[Syferus]

True Shark.
The whole northern half of Ros would stop any of our money going to it while a multi sports stadium would probably lead to nothing but rows.
As for you Godhelpya - while a bit of silly humour and banter is all very well and welcome -can you now please stop ruining every thread with your rhubarbsh1te

You don't get much farther north than Ballagh and no one I've talked to has a conceptual issue with it. We're hardly a massive county and given attendances at the Hyde it's hardly a crowd magnet. Consolidated resources is the smartest way forward for Midlands counties.

Were Westmeath ever relocated to Connacht, which along with Longford remains the most viable way of realigning the provinces, this idea would become even more attractive.

Westmeath and Roscommon are in need of better facilities and Westmeath's 10-year lease on the use of AIT's facilities is a stop-gap at best.

The debt counties like Mayo have had to incur to build said facilities tells us that a county Roscommon or Westmeath attempting similar on their own is going to be a very difficult road to walk.

Is Boyle not further north than ballagh? I wouldn't let westmeath into connacht either. Croi chulturtha na hEireann can't be diluted with another c and w county. MWR is enough already.

At least Boyle is in Roscommon. Ballagh is east Mayo 

[Bojangles]

Think this suggestion has some merit. Counties with a smaller club base need to start thinking of ways of improving their structures and developing their teams. Athlone is an ideal central base for any sports initiative, and Roscommon have got nothing from from the Connacht (prenty) council for years. Time to start thinking outside that particular box!

[Rossfan]

The big Review report into Ros GAA affairs wants the Central facility(proposed) on the lands near Oran proceeded with as quickly as possible. If accepted it means Ros Co Board funds won't be going to any super duper shared all sports thingy round Athlone.
What's the possibility of Brids, Clan, athlone, Tubberclair, Garrycastle..... Soccer clubs( some aren't much more than pub teams), Rubby Club all raising money for such a thing?
Can't they do something in Athlone IT.
Why build a Stadium for Ros Co Games in the  deep South when we have a Stadium centrally located which can be updated/improved without spending an arm and a leg ( when all the silliness is sorted out) and which is within reasonable distance of even the most Nothern club - St Ronans ?
And as for Westmeath in "Connacht" - I'm with the Galway lad on this -- KEEP OUT !!!

[Syferus]

The big Review report into Ros GAA affairs wants the Central facility(proposed) on the lands near Oran proceeded with as quickly as possible. If accepted it means Ros Co Board funds won't be going to any super duper shared all sports thingy round Athlone.
What's the possibility of Brids, Clan, athlone, Tubberclair, Garrycastle..... Soccer clubs( some aren't much more than pub teams), Rubby Club all raising money for such a thing?
Can't they do something in Athlone IT.
Why build a Stadium for Ros Co Games in the  deep South when we have a Stadium centrally located which can be updated/improved without spending an arm and a leg ( when all the silliness is sorted out) and which is within reasonable distance of even the most Nothern club - St Ronans ?
And as for Westmeath in "Connacht" - I'm with the Galway lad on this -- KEEP OUT !!!

Renovating the Hyde properly will cost much the same as building a UEFA-class stadium.

But if we want to make a half-arsed job of it, sure let's keep the stand that's a mile away from the stand and the main terrence with only the vaguest hint of cover.

The report showed plenty of smart, innovative thinking. The same needs to be applied to the Hyde.