McCloy: No big stadium worries for Cork

PÁIRC Uí Chaoimh will not require major work to ensure it retains close to its 43,500 capacity this year.

However, the Cork County Board may be forced to shut the match-day shops in the Covered Stand as they carry out remedial work recommended in an independent audit. Seamus McCloy, the GAA’s national infrastructure and safety committee (NISC) chairman, confirmed the venue is in need of some “housekeeping” improvements.

“There are no wholesale worries for Cork. It’s just a case of addressing health and safety matters as there are for other county boards with their stadiums across the country,” said McCloy. “Not a whole lot of things have to be done. It might involve closing a couple of shops in the tunnel to improve access and more stewards. A few small things can be done to where they want to be.”

The exact adjusted capacity figures won’t be confirmed until next month. The first phase of reconstruction work on Páirc Uí Chaoimh is likely to begin at the end of the year but McCloy is pleased with the measures Leeside officials have set about taking to get it in order for the forthcoming season.

Depending on results, the stadium is in line to host two Munster semi-finals this summer — the footballers against Kerry and the hurlers facing Tipperary.

“Cork have taken their responsibilities seriously,” McCloy remarked. “They’re the biggest county board in Ireland and everybody knows about their plans to revamp the stadium.

“Whatever they have to do they will do. It’s an ongoing process and they have their engineers working with them.

“There’s no animosity there nor is there between the committee with anyone else. On the whole, 99.9% of county boards are taking the recommendations seriously.”

McCloy believes too much was made of the provisionally reduced capacities in the Slattery report in November.

It had been suggested in one Sunday newspaper that Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s capacity could be reduced to 20,000 or 30,000 before McCloy said no figures had been finalised.

“It’s not all about capacity. For me, ensuring there are proper turnstiles, gates big enough for entry and exit, barriers and other safety measures is far more important than what the maximum attendance at a stadium can be.”