Open up Croker for soccer, O’Donoghue pleads to GAA

SPORTS Minister John O’Donoghue last night made yet another appeal to the GAA authorities to give a positive signal on the availability of Croke Park for the 2008 soccer championships.

Mr O’Donoghue’s further appeal came even after the GAA ignored an appeal from the Government on Wednesday. The GAA made it clear yesterday afternoon nothing has changed since its Central Council

decided on October 25 that only the annual General Congress of members, due next spring, could relax or vary the ban on soccer.

But Mr O’ Donoghue last night said a positive signal from the GAA leadership at this stage, just 20 days from a verdict by the European soccer authorities on a joint Irish-Scottish bid, would be extremely helpful. He emphasised the GAA management committee could indicate now that, if the joint Irish-Scottish bid succeeded on December 12, they would recommend to Congress that just four soccer matches be allowed in Croke Park during the 2008 championships.

This would benefit sport and sports people and indeed the country generally, Mr O Donoghue said last night.

The Sports Minister stressed he was not interfering in GAA affairs, nor was he asking for any breach of principle. The request to the GAA is not to open up Croke Park to rugby, soccer or cricket but to make the stadium available for four football matches in the year 2008, he said.

There is a growing feeling in government circles that a rival bid by Austria-Switzerland faced serious difficulty. A positive signal that ultimately the 80,000-seat refurbished Croke Park could be available could swing the Irish-Scottish bid in which Ireland has been asked to provide just two of the total eight venues.

On Wednesday the minister also said the Government would welcome a grant application from the GAA from the 60m sports capital fund available to him. But he stressed repeatedly there is no link between a further grant for Croke Park refurbishment and a positive move on the 2008 soccer games.

Mr O Donoghue again asked the GAA to consider that a successful bid would boost Irish sport and the national economy, bringing 100,000 extra visitors and 50m in revenue.

TDs and Senators will boost the joint bid next Sunday with a soccer challenge in Dublin against their counterparts from the Scottish Parliament. The Irish team will be led by five-times Gaelic All Ireland winner Deputy Jimmy Deenihan of Kerry North.