Cork stadium plans scaled back

CORK GAA chiefs have ditched plans to increase the capacity of Páirc Uí Chaoimh to over 50,000 while the total cost of the redevelopment of the county’s flagship stadium has been priced at between €40m and €60m.

Delegates at Saturday night’s Cork GAA Convention in Páirc Uí Chaoimh were informed it is no longer financially viable to attempt to increase the capacity of the stadium and that instead they will be aiming to maintain the current capacity of 43,500.

In October the board received the green light from city council officials to start the project after the sale of seven acres of publicly owned land next to the stadium was agreed. In his annual report secretary Frank Murphy outlined it was hoped the planning and consultation phase will be completed in the next 12 months and construction would start within two years.