Gaelic Grounds hope to restore glory days

LIMERICK’S hosting of their Guinness Munster SHC semi-final against Cork on Sunday is being heralded as a return to the days when the Gaelic Grounds was one of the principal venues in the country.

Over the past two decades it lost its position of prominence after Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Semple Stadium were redeveloped and redesigned.

Now, following the earlier construction of the Mackey Stand, and a €12m investment, Limerick has a stadium to equal the best. With a capacity of 49,000, it can host 6,000 more than Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

County board chairman Pat Fitzgerald is proud of the achievement, even if it means the executive has a debt of e5m to clear.

“We are delighted. We needed it both from a promotional point of view as well as from a financial point of view,’’ he said. “Sunday is a big day for us in terms of our team and in terms of bringing Limerick back as a venue to host Munster championship games. We hope it will enhance our image in that regard, both as an association and as a city.’’

Limerick has already hosted the Allianz NHL final, the NFL semi-final between the host county and Kerry.

There was an attendance of 23,176 there for the 2000 Munster football final between Kerry and Clare, while the biggest crowd to attend the venue over the past decade was for the 1996 Munster hurling final between Limerick and Tipperary. The game, which ended in a draw, was watched by 43,525.

Fitzgerald recognises that fans from different counties are critical of the sight lines in the Mackey Stand, but he argues that they are no different to most modern stadia.