Updated 7.30pm
CORK GAA HAS received a major boost with planning permission granted by Cork City Council for the €70m project that will see the re-development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh into a 45,000 seater stadium and the development of a centre of excellence.
The announcement gives the green light for work to commence on the long-awaited project, subject to certain conditions, at the stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork.
Cork GAA chairman Bob Ryan described it as ‘tremendous news’ in an official statement with the project set to create 400 jobs and give a €22m boost to the local economy.
“Cork City Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the redevelopment of Pairc Ui Chaoimh and the establishment of a centre of excellence is tremendous news for the GAA , for sport and for the city and county of Cork.
“In the first instance, the redevelopment will provide top class facilities and meet contemporary expectations of players and spectators. It will ensure that Cork has a proper home to showcase its games and an infrastructure to develop young players into the future.
“There are many other noteworthy outcomes from the redevelopment. This is a €70 million project that will create some 400 direct and indirect construction jobs and give a €22 million boost to the local economy.
“Once completed, the “new” Pairc Ui Chaoimh will house state of the art playing and training facilities, performance assessment and rehab facilities, an all weather pitch, restaurants, conference facilities and a museum. The new development will address a deficit in Cork’s business and tourism infrastructure and create an ongoing economic dividend for Cork.
“It should be remembered that a major fixture or public event at at Pairc Ui Chaoimh can generate an estimated €10 million for the local economy, with the main beneficiaries being the hospitality sector. This activity converts into real jobs for the people of Cork.”
Marina Park
Ryan went on to welcome the City Council’s plans for the Marina Park in the city.
“Cork County Board is pleased to see the City Council’s plans for the redevelopment of Marina Park within which Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be now an integral part. The Board has worked very closely with Cork City Council and its appointed consultants for Marina Park to ensure that the facility integrates with the public park.
“From feedback we are receiving, we believe the second playing pitch that will enable adults and children watch their county players training, or to stop a for a few minutes to view pitch activity as part of the recreational use of the park, will be warmly welcomed by many people. The all weather playing pitch will also provide welcome playing and recreational facilities for local schools and clubs.
“The Board is committed to seeking further improvement to the management of the stadium environs, compatible with the redevelopment and establishment of the Centre of Excellence.
“We welcome the fact that the board’s proposal to appoint a liaison officer to optimise the management of the new facilities and to facilitate contact with local residents forms part of the requirements for the development.
!It is our belief that the resolution of any outstanding local issues is best served and in some respects, can only be served, in the context of a redeveloped stadium and the new management structures to be put in place for the facility.”
About time.Long long overdue.
It’s still in the wrong location. Pain to get into & out of. A new site should have been looked at.
The stadium’s location is tolerable. It’s walkable to the city centre and the railway station. There is a problem with car access, but that could be somewhat resolved by opening up Cork’s Park And Ride facilities for matches (it’s done in Limerick for rugby matches in Thomond, so I don’t see why not forr GAA matches in Cork).
It’s totally the wrong location for the centre of excellence. There’s only space for one pitch. When you compare that to the 5 that Mayo have or the 5 that Dublin plan it’s tiny and completely inadequate for a county that aspires to be competitive in both codes for men and women.
Am I the only person who fears that by the time its completed it will already be an outdated stadium. You have one big stand on one side, a smaller one on the other and two terraces.. And it’s still smaller than thurles after all that! Could they not do it build a stadium now that would have a longer life span, or even just a a fully covered stadium
It’ll be in the perfect location if they ever pull there finger out of their jacksie and build the bridge that has been planned next to the stadium.
Nail on the head usir! Spot on! Cork badly missing an indoor concert venue also! Should have been involved in the plans.
Will it be ready in time for the Rugby World Cup?
Who cares about the rugby World Cup. Can’t be used without permission from the Gaa delegates at annual conference. No guarantee of that happening. Lots of fences to be jumped before any ground other that cricket is available. Veradkaar has jumped the gun on that one.. No surprise as he knows feck all about sport.
Sorry that should read croker not cricket.
they voted to allow it in principle already no more permission needed
Yes it would be ready for RWC. GAA won’t miss the chance to have someone else pay for it!
Your correct about that Sean, I forgot that they voted on it at that congress last year.
Joe,
you can be rest assured that a good deal of the 70m is coming form public coffers and if needed for Rugby or Soccer to host a major competition that’ll bring in plenty of tourists it’ll be used.
F(uck rugby, British trash! Corcaigh abu
There’s isn’t a great need to increase capacity by a whole lot as they have a lot. There are a lot of stadium that are way to big where building 15,000 would of been just fine! Was badly needed in cork non the less!
The IRFU was founded before the GAA
While its great that one of the great GAA stadiums is getting a facelift there is another story in the papers today about the London GAA for their own ground. It will cost £5 million but they have to raise £500,000. They are asking each club in Ireland to donate between 100 and 200 euros to the cause. I don’t think thats alot to ask for all the work they do for Irish emigrants in England now and in the past. Maybe you should run this story Fenton to alert people to their fundraising.
I would love to help them out. Do you have any more info?
What kind of centre of excellence has only one pitch?
Aviva stadium €410 million
Páirc Uí Chaoimh €70 million ?
I Should have put the question mark on the aviva
Done to a completely different standard to be fair, aviva full of corporate facilities etc. i presume this development won’t have any of that fancyness.
Its a bit like saying you can get a burger in mccy dees for a euro, compared to 11 quod for a fancy burger. Get what you pay for.
Second garth brooks concert venue to be built
Brilliant news, with capacity just a couple of thousand less than the Aviva maybe the FAI and IRFU can bring some games down there when it’s completed. Is it actually going to be fully seated and roofed, is so that’s some bargain for the projected cost.
Thanks but no thanks. The GAA has constantly shown up the ineptitude of the IRFU and in particular the FAI on a regular basis.
As for grants? The GAA has 850,000 members, many of whom pay taxes. Absolutely they should be getting grants. The facilities they build in very parish are used by hundreds of thousands weekly. It’s exactly what the government should be investing in. The one Irish organisation that has consistently gotten far more things right than wrong.
Don’t think that will ever happen. 6,700 seats less than Aviva. All that loss revenue. If Cork got it Belfast would want the same in Casement park when that gets developed.
Fully agree Alan
I’m confused by that post Alan, what are you on about grants for….I never mentioned anything about grants.
Pat, think you will find that the contract for the naming rights of the Aviva state that all full internationals have to be played at the Aviva. That’s why last autumns gave v Samoa was downgraded to Irish wolfhounds so it could go to thomond. It sucks but that’s commercial realities.
Not everything I wrote is in reply to your post Pat. Hence the paragraph split and the “as for grants” start to the second paragraph.
Ireland played Samoa in thomond park????
Pat,
the Aviva is tied into to many commercial contracts that prohibit them from moving matches.
naming rights, bars, kiosks, corporate boxes have contracts stating matches will be played there
“The GAA has 850,000 members, many of whom pay taxes.” So can one then imply that they also have members who should but do not pay taxes?!
Yes. Children who are members clearly don’t pay taxes.
You can’t play a match there in winter as its built on a marsh and is a death trap waiting to happen on days when it has a capacity crowd.
Yes Tim, exiting that stadium is scary. The place is old and shabby and in dyer need of redevelopment. Although it is greatly welcomed the net increase in capacity is only 1,500. Surely the GAA could have done better there.
Are Cork readers applying all those red thumbs to these very valid comments? Was in the stadium for the first time last summer for 1 of the Springsteen concerts and was genuinely shocked at the state of the place. Narrow exits, no area for crowd management outside and dilapidated facilities. This news is great for Cork and a welcome boost, hopefully the GAA will open it up for other sports so everyone can take advantage of it and enjoy it. All ye need now are proper pedestrian facilities to it while walking from town.
and is a death trap waiting to happen on days when it has a capacity crowd.
- had capacity crowds in 1976 when it was opened for Cork Kerry games . Crowd were on sidelines – bit all ended well – for Kerry -in the end – at least .
And Waterford still dealing with Walsh park and fraher field! Disgraceful! One of the biggest money making/ entertaining counties in the last decade and we’ve to rely on the WIT to build/provide a decent training ground
67 million…….
Jesus. Is that money from the GAA’s own revenue or is it from other sources??
Revenue from Croke Park in Dublin paying for developments in Cork and Belfast
Liverpool are spending 100 mil in theirs, the GAA are a powerful unit I must say.
Respect.
Quite often government funding makes up part of the cost for GAA stadiums, because big matches are worth so much to the local economy.
An All Ireland final is worth at least €5 million to the Dublin economy alone, so you can’t really blame the government for encouraging the building of modern stadia in different parts of the country.
Everyone benefits in the long run.
They have paid off all of their debt. And are running a surplus. So they could source the money from elsewhere or internally. It is more prudent im sure to take loans and maintain a cash surplus
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2014/0204/502195-bumper-gaa-year-clears-croke-park-debt/
And rightly so Bobby. Croke park benefitted from massive grants and it is people from all over Ireland that come to stay in Dublin, eating out in its restaurants and drinking in its bars. Croke park is the home of the GAA. You should know that but then again you probably don’t travel
I’ll think you’ll find Thurles is the home of the GAA
Except it’s not ruled from there now is it
Some waste of a centre of excellence
Another white elephant on the Irish sporting landscape, whose capacity will be tested barely once a year.
Bargain for €70 million, considering lansdowne road cost €500 ,for roughly the same size
Yep, because the stadiums are remotely comparable. The GAA can just stick a great big stand on one side of the pitch and be done with it. The IRFU/FAI had no hope of that gettign by the planning at the Aviva. The stadium swallows it’s own noise and light and has clear panels all around as not to overshadow the surronding area. It swoops down in spots to not be looking over houses. It was squeezed into a tight site in a powerful area.
The IRFU/FAI would have loved to just stick a great big ugly stand on one side but they don’t have that kinda pull.
Not to mention there is a dart line going underneath one of the aviva stands that had to be shut down and paid for for a while
Thought it was older than 40-odd years.
Are the GAA fully funding this or are they getting a grant towards it?
The Cork Athletics Grounds, which were the GAA grounds before PuC were on the same site, so it’s been the location of Cork’s main GAA stadium for longer, it’s just the current stadium is that old.
That’s the job. Hon the rebels!
Good luck to them if they can get the funding together to build the stadium. Given that Munster are struggling to pay for Thomond Park (have a look at the latest IRFU annual report), I would doubt this project will ever get off the ground.
Part lotto funded neenee, as any development in the country would be, the best thing? Is that it sticks in your craw so much.
Fitzgerald stadium still more popular with cork and kerry football supporters.
I remember going there for the first time as an eleven year old in 1976 for a drawn Munster Final with Kerry . It probably was the first major game held there and we were all thrilled with such a state of the art facility ! Stadiums generally have a thirty year shelf life these days – even Croke Park is starting to look quite dated .
€70M my h0le. It’ll be double that. Should have relocated outside the city. Done it properly. Not a half arsed job. Shame.
Kev whereabouts could it be relocated other than the marina. The park is located within walking distance of city centre and is served by a nearby bus. With the redevelopment of the ground hopefully a park and ride is put in place to handle munster championship games.
Across the river in Tivoli would be a good location for a Stadium in Cork as it’s well served by road and rail. Only West Cork and Kerry Fans would have to cross the River Lee to get to Tivoli. Port of Cork are due to free up their land at Tivoli once they make their own move down river.
Crossing the lee is only an issue for tipp and Waterford fans who can be accommodated by the jack lynch tunnel. Doing up the roads and footpaths around the park would do wonders for the place.
I don’t get the rugby comments . The ESRI report on sports participation says its not even in the top 15 activities in Ireland in terms of participation . Surely more a waspish pastime than a genuinely popular game across ireland, like Gaelic football or soccer ?
What’s not to get? People are specifically speaking about a rugby World Cup being held in Ireland. More stadia boost the chances of getting one. You need stadia located near accommodation.
One of the 4 pools would almost certainly be based out of cork then, and one tier 1 nation would play games there. That’s a massive boost to the local economy.
No one is suggesting it’s needed as a rugby venue for Munster or anything, and any Heineken cup semi would continue to default to the aviva
Finally the There’ll be another stadium with capacity so the Dubs can play away from Croker. I’d enjoy a trip to cork for a championship Game.
Bad location should have done up pairc ui rinn instead. Cork county board are a disaster and would more than likely object to opening up for the rwc as they did for opening up croaker. As for funding they’re loaded. But would be better off investing it in local clubs many of whom are broke.
Cork Con would object straight away
StadNew Pairc Ui Choimh = Stade D’Frank
Great to see a state of the art stadium in that part of the world. That makes it three with Aviva and Thomson. Come on Belfast your turn…..
Thomond Park
Casement Park in Belfast is getting developed also.
Ravenhill has been developed to 18,000 capacity. Casement redevelopment is going to be complete in 2 years. So Belfast is well ahead of Cork at this stage.
Long overdue
Looks nice enough but does those two bottom tiers go the full way around the stadium?
Great news . Great news for the country as well as Cork. Ireland will be better positioned to bid for the rugby World Cup. Before all the loadmouths out there start spouting out that the “foreign games ” was only lifted to allow the construction of the Aviva , the rule was lifted full stop. It was only used during the construction of the Aviva. The change still stands .
Fair play to them!
This is good for the prospects of Ireland hosting the Rugby World Cup.
A good news story for sure.
Its one stand for the €70m. The old roof from the existing stand is going on the current uncovered stand.
Feck all of a capacity increase why didn’t make it a decent size like 55,000 they will end going to a bigger capacity in the future anyway
It’s in Cork. 45k is more than enough. Stadiuims 55k and more is suitable for Dublin only.
Have you seen the state of it william, for health & safety alone it needs a hell of a revamp.
Gives them an excuse to bum for the next 50 years if nothing else.
If ever a GAA stadium needed upgrade its this one. The seats are as tight as………….
Hopefully it gets off the ground before the objectors get organised.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the GAA to showcase inclusiveness in modern Ireland. What better way to do this than to name the new stadium after Cork legend Seán Óg Ó hAilpín.
I believe residents from Drumcondra are buying up houses nearby……for the free concerts