Fintan O'Toole
THAT it needs a facelift is without question. When it was constructed in 1976, Páirc Uí Chaoimh was the most modern stadium in the country but the years have taken their toll on the bowl by the Lee. The need for a refurbishment has become more urgent in recent years with the advent of top-class facilities in around Ireland. With Croke Park ensuring the GAA had a powerful landmark in the capital of the country, a strong modern foothold was needed in the second city of the country.
After years of painstaking negotiations, the breakthrough was finally achieved in October. A deal was brokered between the Cork County Board and city council officials that would see the GAA secure the seven acres of publicly owned land next to the stadium, that were vital to their plans. Chairman Jerry O’Sullivan confidently proclaimed the first ball would be kicked or pucked at the redeveloped stadium in the early stages of the 2015 season. At last the way was paved for the future.
But there has been a nagging thought in recent months about the project. Given the harshness of the current economic climate and the massive number of stadiums dotted around the country that lie empty for large chunks of the year, did Páirc Uí Chaoimh really need a huge increase in its capacity? Would developing a stadium with a capacity in the 50,000-60,000 simply create a white elephant?
At last Saturday night’s Cork convention GAA chiefs in the county rowed back their original plans and it is to be welcomed. The scale of the project has been revamped with the aim now being to maintain the current capacity of 43,500.
The reality is that simply had to be course of action taken. It is a struggle to fill Páirc Uí Chaoimh regularly with its current capacity, never mind trying to justify adding over 10,000 extra seats to the stadium. Geographical circumstances dictate Páirc Uí Chaoimh will never be used to house marquee fixtures on a regular basis with the other two major stadiums in the province, the Gaelic Grounds and Semple Stadium, having a clear accessibility advantage in terms of their ability to stage neutral games.
The heyday for Páirc Uí Chaoimh was during hurling’s golden era in the 90s when it provided the backdrop to some of the best moments of the engaging hurling rivalry between Clare and Tipperary. The fixtures provided relentless drama and bumper attendances but they did coincide with the major redevelopment work taking place in Gaelic Grounds.
That’s worth pointing out when reflecting that Clare and Tipperary have clashed in three of the last four Munster SHCs, and each of those games has taken place in Limerick venue on the Ennis Road.
Consider how often Páirc Uí Chaoimh is used to stage major championship games. This year’s Munster senior hurling decider between Tipperary and Waterford was the first example of the stadium being used for a final not involving Cork since 2002. And last July’s clash failed to break the 40,000 barrier with a crowd of 36,654 attending the game. The trends extend to club level as well with last December’s Munster club SHC final between Thurles Sarsfields and De La Salle the first such showpiece since 1979 to take place in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, while in Munster club football the 2006 final meeting of Dr Crokes and The Nire at the venue was a rare exception.
Even the traditional glamour draws involving Cork’s flagship senior teams in Páirc Uí Chaoimh are no longer crowd-pullers. In 2005, the ground heaved to full capacity as Cork and Tipperary met in the Munster SHC final but that figure was down to 36,827 when the two counties clashed last year. Next summer if Tipperary defeat Limerick in their qurter-final tie, they will face Cork in the semi-final stage. But economic factors mean the most positive outcome in that instance is that the attendance will be over the 30,000 mark.
The appeal of fixtures between Cork and Kerry at senior football level has also been diluted in recent years by the advent of the backdoor system and the frequency of their championship meetings. Munster Council officials would be in ebullient form next summer if that pairing drew a crowd of over 30,000 to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The stark truth is that the demand is not there for a 50,000-60,000 capacity GAA stadium in Cork and there are certainly not enough games to justify that level of construction. The Cork county board have at least grasped those facts and are now cutting their cloth to measure. In the process, they are ensuring Cork will not go the way of other counties around the country and find themselves weighed down with unnecessary debt as a result of the construction of a stadium. Páirc Uí Chaoimh needs a facelift not an expansion. In choosing the former, the board have got this decision right.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/yr6Zb4NeRik/post.aspx
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