Early 2017 opening for €70m Páirc project

Cork GAA coffers will contribute €20m to the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, board secretary Frank Murphy has revealed.

The Government has already sanctioned a €30m grant to help fund the €70m resurgence project, which will see the creation of a 45,000-seater stadium and a centre of excellence.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Frank Murphy confirmed the board would table €20m of the final bill and expressed confidence that “the overall cost of the project will be paid off without the necessity of borrowing or impact on the development and promotion of games at ground level”.

The board’s coffers currently hold in excess of €10m and they will market 10-year tickets for the refurbished stadium’s 2,000 corporate seats in an attempt to reach their €20m target.

The Cork secretary also confirmed construction would begin later this year, pending the outcome of two final appeals to An Bord Pleanála. The refurbished stadium is expected to reopen in the spring of 2017.

“We have, of course, over the years been prudent in our expenditure of money and have managed to amass reserves of some €10m plus that will be put into this project,” he revealed.

“We also have two major areas of fundraising with regard to the sale of tickets for corporate areas in the redeveloped stadium. One would be of 10-years duration and the other would be for a five-year period. With the success of these schemes and increased effort in our county members draw, we would anticipate that we would meet our budget.

“It is intended then that the remaining balance would come from the association at higher level. We have a meeting this (Friday) evening with the GAA’s management committee. We have already had a meeting with the Central Council finance committee and the Council’s structural committee. We have also met the management committee of the Munster Council. After tonight we will know what the route forward will be, how support will work from both the central and provincial council.”

Criticism of the €70m redevelopment has been widespread, in particular the Government’s decision to allocate €30m to help fund the work.

Murphy defended the regeneration project, asserting it was high time counties outside the pale were catered for.

“In previous years the state has invested in three stadiums in Dublin to the tune of €434m. This is the first state capital investment in a major stadium in Cork and it is very much welcomed.”

Cork chairman Bob Ryan last week expressed optimism that the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh would end Croke Park’s stranglehold in hosting the All-Ireland championships’ key fixtures, a sentiment echoed by Murphy.

“Given the ease of access made possible by the motorway, we would be expecting that when the new stadium opens it would attract many more games of a major consequence.

“You have to move with the times. We are the major city in the south, it is only correct that there is a high-profile stadium in a county that has given so much to the association in the promotion of its games over the years.”