O’Donovan plays down amount of stadium work required

No JCBs will be required to complete the necessary remedial work at Páirc Uí Chaoimh ahead of the Munster hurling final, according to Cork GAA senior administrator Diarmuid O’Donovan.

A report furnished to the Munster Council and Cork executive, following Michael Slattery’s visit to Páirc Uí Chaoimh last week, outlined a number of health and safety concerns about the venue.

O’Donovan confirmed work is underway to address the ground’s shortcomings, expressing confidence that the current capacity of 32,168 would be increased following a second inspection next week.

“It is technical stuff and the taking care of engineering aspects more than anything else, there is nothing really wrong with the stadium per se” said O’Donovan.

“The engineer will do a second check possibly later this week and then sign off on the ground. I am confident that upon completion of the remedial works the capacity will be increased. By how much I am not sure.”

O’Donovan revealed Munster Council top-brass are demanding the drawing up of plans to outline in detail how spectators will enter and exit the various stands and terraces on July 13.

“What they want made clear and what must be clear for health and safety purposes are the match-day plans for how spectators will enter the stadium, how they will exit the stadium and how they will enter a certain stand or terrace. Plans also have to be put in place to ensure walkways are not blocked at any time. There are shops at the corner of the two stands and obviously you are going to have large queues on the day, so we have to ensure those queues aren’t blocking people from gaining entrance to the various terraces and stands. Those shops will have to be moved.

“We have to ensure there will be no queues for toilets and so we are putting provisions in place for portable toilets. We are drawing up plans as to how people will come up and down the stairs when going to and from their seat. The flow in the tunnels will have to be managed.”

He added: “There is no huge substantial work that needs to take place here. It is more dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. There will be no JCBs brought in and there will be no construction work or any major surgery like that.”