PDs play down ‘Bertie Bowl’ win

BERTIE AHERN will attempt to gloss over the embarrassing scrapping of his pet project stadium as the Cabinet back the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road.

However, Mary Harney will not engage in triumphalism over the Taoiseach’s climbdown on his €1 billion ‘Bertie Bowl’ plans, as the PDs will play down their latest victory over their coalition partners.

The announcement of Government support for the €250 million joint IRFU-FAI Lansdowne Road 50,000 seat stadium will mark the final nail in the coffin for Abbotstown - famously derided as a “Ceaucescu-era project” by Michael McDowell. The PDs’ consistently trenchant opposition to the €1 billion plan halted the development of the ‘Bertie Bowl’.

Today the Cabinet will consider proposals brought forward by Minister for Sport John O’Donoghue with a decision expected to be announced by afternoon, or in the coming days.

Fianna Fáil will put a brave face on the decision by confirming the development of an FAI headquarters and football academy at Abbotstown, a far cry from Mr Ahern’s grandiose plans to build an 80,000- or 65,000-seat stadium and multi-sport campus.

The development of a mini-stadium with a capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 at Abbotstown is also a possibility.

The final bill for State support for Lansdowne Road and Abbotstown will be around €100 million over a number of years, a fraction of the Taoiseach’s original €1 billion plans.

Last night, the Tánaiste’s spokesman could not confirm if Ms Harney would be available to publicly comment on any likely decision later today.

Despite scuppering the Taoiseach’s proposal and her party getting its way again, PD sources indicated the Tánaiste will be magnanimous in a low-key acknowledgement of the decision.

On top of Ms Harney’s Cabinet objections, in his infamous Election 2002 campaign speech, Minister McDowell, then the Attorney General, characterised Mr Ahern’s proposed stadium and campus at Abbotstown as a matter of political morality. Predicting the eventual outcome, the minister also said his personal preference was for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road and the completion of Croke Park, with the State offering financial assistance to both stadiums at a tiny fraction of the €1 billion bill for Abbotstown.

“Ireland does not need a Ceaucescu-era Olympic campus on a single site,” he said at the time.

Last night, Fine Gael sport spokesman Jimmy Deenihan said Lansdowne Road was the most practical solution in terms of cost, location, access, transport, facilities and accommodation.

Also yesterday, Dublin Chamber of Commerce showed four out of five businesses in the city favour Lansdowne Road over Abbotstown.