Still Lansdowne to me

WHEN the project to re-develop Lansdowne Road, as a sort of national sports stadium, was launched the estimated total cost of the project was estimated to be €365m.

A total of €191m (52%) of the required funding was then to come from the taxpayer with the remaining €174m being raised by the IRFU & FAI.

Thus we, the taxpayers, paid the bulk of the total cost Yet it appears that the naming rights were sold to an insurance company for €44m to cover a 10-year period and the stadium has since been emblazoned with their name. I have no problem with the idea of selling naming rights of a totally private operation but where we as taxpayers are funding most of the cost it galls me to see so many people promote the sponsored name.

I, for one, will continue to refer to the stadium as Lansdowne Road.

Frank O’Brien

Grange

Cork