Opening up Croker will cost €2m, warns Kelly

GAA president Seán Kelly yesterday put a price tag on opening up Croke Park for soccer and rugby internationals.

“The rent - depending on the crowd and the price of tickets - could possibly be €1 million to €2m.

“But I think there are other aspects which have to be considered as well,” Mr Kelly told the Marian Finucane programme on RTÉ Radio.

“If Croke Park is to be available for more than GAA games you would have to consider the value of corporate boxes, premium seats etc. All that needs to be debated,” he said.

Unless Croker is available to them, rugby and soccer bosses here have no option but to play home international fixtures in Britain from 2006 when Lansdowne Road closes for major redevelopment.

The GAA has an outstanding debt of €38m. The Government gave it €20m in National Lottery funding for last year’s Special Olympics as well as a further €50m to transform Croke Park.

Mr Kelly said they would argue the money generated by the association and sent back to the Exchequer would be in excess of the Government’s funding.

Last Easter, a GAA debate on Rule 42 - on the use of Croke Park - ended after all eight motions were ruled out on a technicality.

Mr Kelly said it was “more than likely” Rule 42 would come up again at the 2005 GAA congress.

“What the GAA will have to consider very seriously is when Lansdowne Road is being done up if the internationals have to be played abroad, will they be happy with that situation.

“I think there will be a move to, at least, temporarily open Croke Park for that period of time. Whether that will be a success or not is another matter,” he said.

“I think that will certainly be a matter of great debate within the association and indeed without the association as well.

“As a broad principle, I have always stated, and I still state, that I have no problem in the world with opening Croke Park - but I would be talking about Croke Park and Croke Park alone.

“I know there are issues with it and certainly there are people who are against it who are probably more passionate in their views than those who are actually in favour of opening Croke Park and I can see why, because many people would feel that if you open Croke Park you open other grounds,” said Mr Kelly.

“I don’t think that should happen and it could not happen.”

Mr Kelly also said the GAA would not know whether there was a general mood to open Croke Park to soccer and rugby until the issue was discussed.

“I would think the closer we come to Lansdowne Road being closed the more likely you are to get people thinking about the actual practicalities of the situation,” he said.