Eyebrows raised beyond the Pale
Off the field anyway, it marked a fine few days for the capital county after the sod-turning of what will effectively become their new training home in west Dublin. Officially, the GAA’s new facility on the National Sports Campus (NSC) is a national centre of excellence but chief residency will belong to the boys in blue, who intend centralising all their county panels at the Blanchardstown venue.
Dublin chairman Andy Kettle wasn’t exactly pitching a “no trespassers” sign in the front lawn, but his intentions were clear when he spoke of neighbouring counties already having centres of excellence.
“If you look at the surrounding counties, Meath have theirs; Louth have Darver; Wicklow are in the process of finishing theirs; Kildare have Hawkfield. The requested usage from those counties may not be terribly high.”
Dublin would certainly hope so but they probably know so too. By setting up camp there, they will effectively lay claim to the place. Much like what they have done with Croke Park. And don’t forget Blanchardstown will boast a pitch the exact size of GAA HQ too.
Not bad business when you think Dublin will more than likely not have to spend a dime of their own money there for some time to come. The €2m promised to them from central GAA funds towards developing a green site in Rathcoole is now expected to go towards their rental fees at the NSC. As Kettle said: “Perhaps that €2m could buy x amounts of usage, but the ongoing operational costs will be fairly substantial.”
True as that is, Kettle described the development as “a total win-win” for Dublin. Too right: here they have been presented with a bargain in the context of the many counties who are paying back loans or in the midst of fundraising for centres of excellence.
Dublin will rightly argue they have contributed more than anyone to gate receipts since the turn of the century. The costs and demands of running Gaelic games in the county are only rivalled by Cork, and they are acutely aware of how much Croke Park prioritises winning the hearts and minds in the most populated county in the country.
In effect, the deal equates with economies of scale but should such things really come as cheap for one of Gaelic games’ superpowers when the minnows have to scrimp and save? Speaking at Friday’s launch, GAA director general Páraic Duffy said it was a valid point to raise concerns that the new development may be seen as a de facto home for Dublin, much like Croke Park. He added: “Dublin won’t have the first call but I wouldn’t really see that ever being a problem because you have five pitches here.”
But just how comfortable will other counties feel there? Dublin might say that’s not their problem yet their keenest rivals will surely be putting off training at the venue for privacy reasons.
It must be said the GAA couldn’t look a gift-horse in the mouth either. They were handed a snip themselves by the Government. At what will be a total cost of approximately €8m, the opportunity to build five floodlit pitches and an accompanying pavilion with 10 dressing rooms on a prime piece of Dublin real estate was a no-brainer.
And outside of inter-county, Blanchardstown will undoubtedly serve the GAA well hosting schools, clubs and colleges activities as well as the sister sports of camogie and ladies football. But when both Duffy and GAA president Liam O’Neill have spoken about “a fairer method of financial distribution” to counties to retain a competitive inter-county model, handing Dublin such an advantage as this will be viewed dimly.
As commendable as their extra funding for developing hurling counties is, this will add further scrutiny to the strength of their convictions in football.
It’s not that Dublin have doing anything wrong. They haven’t. It’s not that Dublin don’t need a centre of excellence. They do. It’s just they’ve been provided with one having barely lifted a finger.
* Email: john.fogarty@examiner.ie
Some of hurling’s cognoscenti would like to think the game is above grudges. If you’re of the same mind, take a spin to Semple Stadium on Sunday and report back to us.
We were in Thurles this month last year for Tipperary and Clare’s Division 1A encounter when Eamon O’Shea qualified his team’s 11-point win, stating: “That’s a young Clare team and they were working really hard to get up a level. Maybe it took its toll (playing) five Sundays in a row.”
He needs no reminding that young side became All-Ireland champions six months later. Davy Fitzgerald said after last year’s game that Clare “can’t ever forget” how O’Shea cajoled Tipperary to score more when they were already out of reach.
He spoke of it again in January: “I remember looking at him (O’Shea) with five minutes to go and he was roaring for them to go for goals. They were up 10 or 12 points. Did it annoy me a bit? It did.”
The counties’ rivalry might — and should — never reach the ugly heights hit in the late 90s. But that bitter era was premised on a dubious Nicky English grin; this latest one has more of a foundation.
So the black card has picked up the Oscar for best performer in a leading role for “The Increase Of Scores In The Allianz Football League”.
Nothing, then, to do with the fine examples set by Dublin and Mayo or that more teams are putting the ‘foot’ back into ‘football’.
Just look at what Cork, Tyrone and Donegal have been doing these past few weeks.
It will amuse some observers in Tyrone that they have shipped just one black card to Kerry’s three so far in this campaign.
But the fact is Tyrone, as they indicated at stages last year, have subscribed to a pleasing style that suits their most talented bunch of players in years.
The black card may well be standing on the stage but it owes it all to a welcoming change in playing habits that predates its inception.
