Lansdowne Road Stadium on Last Word

L

legend99

Registered User
Messages
842
Anyone else hear this discussion? It seemed to revolve around the height of the new stadium. I wasn't aware of it until last night but the guy form the local residents seemed quite well informed and he was saying the new stadium will be nearly 50 metres in height. He pointed out that Croke park was less than this to hold 30k more. Millenium Stadium Cardiff which holds 72k is also not nearly as high. I am aware that you sometimes need to go higher to fit more people in but 50m??? Millenium Stadium is also on a very tight site but nowhere near as high.
So I was wondering do people think we will ever see this stadium be built? Don't want to enter into a pro GAA versus bad GAA debate about Croke Park, but wouldn't it make sense for everyone to use Croke Park and redevelop Landswone into a circa 30k multi use compact stadium?? It strikes me that 50k in Landsdowne is a useless capacity. Its too small for most rugby matches and too big for most other events....any thoughts???
 
I'm not an expert on this but is the extra height of the stadium required because there will be three tiers on the East, West and South sides of the pitch but only one tier on the North side because the stadium is so close to the houses there ?
 
I think the guys points was in view of the overall design hieght. I know alright they are dippnig one terrace.
 
Is it the unusual roof design that makes it higher?
[broken link removed]

I think legend99's other point is interesting too. No body seems to be talking about what happens after 2007.
- is croke park still going to be available if the stadium is not built by 2008?
- even after the stadium is finished will/should croke park be available for "big" matches?
- will gaa be played in lansdowne? Should other gaa grounds be made available (e.g. what about the possible redevelopment of Thomond pk in Limerick)

At the end of the day we're still not going to have a national stadium with running track etc. which I thought was also on the agenda?
 
tiger said:
Is it the unusual roof design that makes it higher?
[broken link removed]

I think legend99's other point is interesting too. No body seems to be talking about what happens after 2007.
- is croke park still going to be available if the stadium is not built by 2008?
- even after the stadium is finished will/should croke park be available for "big" matches?
- will gaa be played in lansdowne? Should other gaa grounds be made available (e.g. what about the possible redevelopment of Thomond pk in Limerick)

At the end of the day we're still not going to have a national stadium with running track etc. which I thought was also on the agenda?
Click to expand...

AFAIK ..

That picture, used widely when the project was announced, is not intended to be the actual design, merely representative of what is planned.

The GAA have give assent to a specified number of matches in 2007 - nothing beyond that. If/when planning is approved and the stadium is not ready for 6N 2008, then your guess is as good as mine.

The IRFU are still in negotiation about buying houses at the Ballynanty end of Thomond Park. If that breaks down they they're talking about a green field site outside Limerick. Semple stadium or Parc Ui Caoimh are outside the scope of what the GAA have agreed to.

The Lansdowne redevelopment was never going to be a national stadium. Bertie hasn't yet given up hope on Abbotstown.

I can see the Lansdowne planning process pushing out the completion date of the stadium well after 2007.
 
What would make sense is that the IRFU sell lansdowne and make a fortune (just like jurys did) and then build a massive stadium on a greenfield site which would be easier to get to and leave from at no cost to the taxpayer.

As for your commment, legend99, I am delighted the GAA are sharing Croke park at the mo, but come on - why should they bail out the IRFU and FAI (and the government) indefinitely by letting them use a stadium they built for amateur games? Would you let your neighbours use a car port you built so they could cover their own cars (for the sake of comparison) even if you recieved a section XYZ taxbreak on it?
 
legend99 said:
but wouldn't it make sense for everyone to use Croke Park and redevelop Landswone into a circa 30k multi use compact stadium?? It strikes me that 50k in Landsdowne is a useless capacity. Its too small for most rugby matches and too big for most other events....any thoughts???
Click to expand...

Totally agree and after all lest we forget taxpayers money paid for a good bit of Croke Park (the GAA always conveniently forget to mention this!)
 
legend99 said:
. He pointed out that Croke park was less than this to hold 30k more. ???
Click to expand...

Croke Park is a longer pitch though so it would naturally hold more people in the stadium, although it does seem very high for a fairly modest capacity.
 
colc1 said:
Totally agree and after all lest we forget taxpayers money paid for a good bit of Croke Park (the GAA always conveniently forget to mention this!)
Click to expand...

The FAI and IRFU have access to the same grants and funding that the GAA do. Its just that they're (mostly FAI) are run by a bunch of idiots who are only in the game to line their own pockets and not for the love of the game.

P.S. I doubt the stadium will ever be built. Why dont they sell it for developement , build a massive stadium down the country where land is cheaper (excess money could improve infrastructure) and spend the rest on improving their game at youth levels???
 
redbhoy said:
The FAI and IRFU have access to the same grants and funding that the GAA do. Its just that they're (mostly FAI) are run by a bunch of idiots who are only in the game to line their own pockets and not for the love of the game.
Click to expand...

They have access to many of the same grants, but get nowhere near as much. Rugby and soccer might have been played in Croker by now was it not for Berty's promise of €60m funding for Croke Park the night before a vote on Rule 42 a anumber of years ago, which he did at the time in an attempt to keep some momentum behind Abbotstown.
 
so does anyone know if Landsdowne will actually have the pitch size to allow hurlnig/gaelic football or not?
 
Plenty of theories on Berties motives, though I think in the Abbotstown context he inadvertently shot himself in the foot by doing this (can't remember the exact sequence of events now TBH).

Something sinister potentially on the Lansdowne side as well. Nothing better to speed up the redevelopment of a stadium than to seed the idea that the old stadium might be dangerous?
 
tiger said:
Something sinister potentially on the Lansdowne side as well. Nothing better to speed up the redevelopment of a stadium than to seed the idea that the old stadium might be dangerous?
Click to expand...

That incident always struck me as weird. They said it was some rubbish or something that went up on fire - in an area that it 100% concrete. How could some rubbish burning have any effect on concrete?
 
A couple of random responses ..

  • Fire in November was caused by using chemical foam to fill in cracks in terrace. Chemical agents combusted, blah blah blah
  • IRFU & FAI don't need a 80K seater stadium. Would you have got 80K for Italy last week. Will FAI get 80K for San Marino ?
  • Funding for Croke Park, taxpayers money, blah, blah, blah. These arguments have been done to death and there is no way Bertie (or Brian Cowen) is going to do anything to alienate the GAA constituency.
  • IRFU already own a green field site at Newlands Cross (well at least they did ?). They bought it in the 1990s so should/could be sitting on a nice little windfall.
 
TarfHead said:
  • Fire in November was caused by using chemical foam to fill in cracks in terrace. Chemical agents combusted, blah blah blah
Click to expand...

Don't recall seeing any news story to that effect. In any case, it's doesn't seem smart to be doing structural work on a stand the day before a match.
 
Leo said:
They have access to many of the same grants, but get nowhere near as much. Rugby and soccer might have been played in Croker by now was it not for Berty's promise of €60m funding for Croke Park the night before a vote on Rule 42 a anumber of years ago, which he did at the time in an attempt to keep some momentum behind Abbotstown.
Click to expand...

Well said Leo! They should never have got that money without conditions attached, i.e. letting other sports use Croke Park (not every weekend or anything but occasionally). Must be one of the stupidest things Bertie ever did
 
"IRFU & FAI don't need a 80K seater stadium. Would you have got 80K for Italy last week. Will FAI get 80K for San Marino ?"

Have to fundamentally disagree with that. I submit that the IRFU would fill 80k at least 3 times a year. They would fill 80k for England, Scotland, Wales or France at home in the 6 nations. They will also end up playing at least one of Oz, New Zealand and South Africa annually which would come close to selling 80k.
Additionaly they will want to host the Heineken cup at least once every 4-5 years. While it would only sell out with an Irish finalist they do need a better stadium to submit to host it in reality.
50k is useless for the IRFU.

I would go so far as to say that 50k would suit the GAA for 80% of their matches and 80k would suit the IRFU for 80% of their matches.
 
legend99 said:
so does anyone know if Landsdowne will actually have the pitch size to allow hurlnig/gaelic football or not?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure it will not, its currently a good 30-40 yards short of the Croke Park pitch, I dont think there is any free space at either end of Landsdowne to expand.
 
SteelBlue05 said:
Pretty sure it will not, its currently a good 30-40 yards short of the Croke Park pitch, I dont think there is any free space at either end of Landsdowne to expand.
Click to expand...

Then in fairness it shouldn't be called a national stadium if it can't host 2 of the main national sports!! By the way, as might be guessed, I'm a rugby man but I still think the above!
 
legend99 said:
Then in fairness it shouldn't be called a national stadium if it can't host 2 of the main national sports!! By the way, as might be guessed, I'm a rugby man but I still think the above!
Click to expand...

I didnt know it was going to be called the national stadium, seems a bit silly alright.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top