Paul Rouse: Fantasy finance leaves GAA with grounds for concern

At what point does the cost of GAA stadiums become too much?

COUNTY GROUNDS: In the early 2000s, the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick underwent a redevelopment worth €12m. However, by 2015, the same venue was being described as a ‘burden’. Pic: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

The GAA has a serious grounds issue. The nature of the county-based structure of the organisation demands that each has its own stadium capable of staging inter-county matches.

This is not just a matter of necessity. Having a substantial ground in a town or city is an emblem of civic pride. Such grounds prove a mecca which draws business to a place and demonstrates its prosperity.