O’Sullivan hails landmark day as Páirc plans get green light

That’s how Cork County Board chairman Jerry O’Sullivan last night described Cork City Council’s decision to vote in favour of the proposal to make available 6.82 acres of land adjacent to Páirc Uí Chaoimh for re-development of the stadium and the construction of a centre of excellence.

After the Council voted by 17-11 to give the green light to the project, O’Sullivan revealed negotiations will now begin in earnest over the financial terms of the agreement and is hopeful that phase one of the development will be completed within two years.

“We’re absolutely delighted and I think this is a landmark day for GAA in the county. I’m delighted for sports people in the entire county and for the GAA people. But this is only the very first step and the real hard work starts now. We’ll be negotiating with the City Council now to do a deal for the cost of the land.

“Then the planning phase will take place and certainly I’d hope to have Phase 1 completed within a two-year term.”

O’Sullivan admitted to serious anxiety beforehand that the vote would go against them and revealed that the opposition of City Council manager Joe Gavin to the granting of the 6.82 acres, fuelled fears that their re-development plans would be scuppered.

But O’Sullivan believes that the Páirc Uí Chaoimh project will augment the Council plans to develop a public park on the site as well.

“We were anxious about it as you can never be sure about these things.

“The debate went on for two and a half hours, and to be fair all the councillors debated very fairly. We appreciated very much that there was a proper debate on the issue with both sides outlining their arguments.

“When a senior figure in the Council like Joe Gavin is opposing your decision, that does become a cause of concern, but we have nothing against anyone that voted against it. He has been a great city manager though and to be fair he argued his point well. But I think this park idea is an excellent one and having a modern stadium next to it, would only enhance the whole area.”

When the county board launched their Strategic Vision and Action Plan 2010-2015 in April, O’Sullivan described the proposed re-development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the plan.

He admitted last night that the board had not wanted to consider any alternative site to develop a stadium and that a Council proposal to develop the Centre of Excellence in Carrigrohane was unsatisfactory, as they wished to concentrate the Cork GAA facilities on one site.

“Everyone knows the current stadium is not suitable for the modern player and supporter. It would have been a major setback if we had to look elsewhere.

“If we had failed, we don’t know where we would have gone. We’re not sure what the options were and to be honest we hadn’t discussed it as we were just hoping this vote would go our way.

“There was an alternative location proposed to have the Centre of Excellence on a site out the straight road in Carrigrohane, but that wasn’t what we wanted. Páirc Uí Chaoimh is the hub of the GAA in the county and we wanted to have all the facilities there together. So we’re delighted to have got the vote and we will work from here now.”